Saturday, May 17, 2025
77.6 F
Roseville

Roseville Impact: Amy Giffin and A Touch of Understanding

Raising Disability Awareness at Local Schools

Roseville, CA- Amy Giffin has been volunteering with A Touch of Understanding (ATOU) for two years. She wanted to find a place to get connected and involved, after moving to Roseville from San Diego. A friend brought Amy to see an ATOU workshop, and immediately, Amy knew she found her “home” and has been a workshop speaker ever since.

As a non-profit organization, ATOU provides disability awareness workshops to school-aged children throughout the greater Sacramento region. With a small staff, ATOU is heavily reliant on volunteers such as Amy. At each workshop students get to experience hands-on activities exploring what it would be like to have a disability. In addition, 2-4 volunteers with disabilities share their stories and how they meet their goals and objectives. Amy speaks about her own disabilities. She talks about her cerebral palsy, as well as a form of a learning disability called dyscalculia, which resembles dyslexia, but has more to do with math and numbers. The final disability that Amy talks about is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which she acquired about six years ago after losing her mom to breast cancer.

In addition to a wheelchair, Amy talks about some of the other tools she uses to accomplish her goals. She shows an example of “touch math” which helps her with numbers, and finally, her newest friend and tool, Mocha. Mocha and Amy are training together through Four Paws to Freedom, which is an organization that trains and certifies emotional support dogs for people who live with PTSD.

“I love showing students that disabilities are not something that defines me, it is just part of me,” Amy shares. “I love when students come up to me after a workshop and share their own story of loss or ask for a hug. It helps them to feel comfortable with their own story. If I can touch the life of just one or two students, then I know I have done my job.”

Learn more

For more information on A Touch of Understanding and ways to get involved, go to www.touchofunderstanding.org




Support local sports!

Sphere Las Vegas

Trending

Sisters Thai Kitchen in Roseville

Sisters Thai Kitchen, No-frills Pan-Asian diner near UNT campus serving stir fries & noodles with diner's choice of meat.

Bass Pro Shops in Rocklin

Visit Bass Pro Shops in Rocklin, CA for expert advice and top gear in fishing, hunting, boating & shooting. Plan your outdoor adventure today.

Big 5 Sporting Goods in Roseville

Find BIG brands for low prices in sporting gear, fitness equipment, active apparel, and sport-specific shoes and cleats. Buy online or in-store!

BevMo! in Roseville on Douglas Blvd

Shop BevMo.com for wine, spirits, beer & more. Order online and have it delivered or pick up in 30 minutes.

Denio Family Park in Roseville: A welcome addition to local outdoor recreation

Roseville, Calif. - Simple, yet powerful words of encouragement attributed to the Denio Family are etched in the flipside of the new sign denoting Roseville's newest outdoor showcase, Denio Family Park.

Topics

Sisters Thai Kitchen in Roseville

Sisters Thai Kitchen, No-frills Pan-Asian diner near UNT campus serving stir fries & noodles with diner's choice of meat.

Bass Pro Shops in Rocklin

Visit Bass Pro Shops in Rocklin, CA for expert advice and top gear in fishing, hunting, boating & shooting. Plan your outdoor adventure today.

Big 5 Sporting Goods in Roseville

Find BIG brands for low prices in sporting gear, fitness equipment, active apparel, and sport-specific shoes and cleats. Buy online or in-store!

BevMo! in Roseville on Douglas Blvd

Shop BevMo.com for wine, spirits, beer & more. Order online and have it delivered or pick up in 30 minutes.

Denio Family Park in Roseville: A welcome addition to local outdoor recreation

Roseville, Calif. - Simple, yet powerful words of encouragement attributed to the Denio Family are etched in the flipside of the new sign denoting Roseville's newest outdoor showcase, Denio Family Park.

Rudy’s Gourmet Mexican Cuisine in Rocklin

At Rudy’s we take real pride in serving our guests authentic Mexican cuisine. We are proud to offer you our tradition of fresh, high quality meals with excellent service.

Wags To Riches Pet Grooming in Rocklin

Established in 1991 Wags to Riches Pet Grooming has been serving the Rocklin, CA and surrounding cities for over 30+ years. We provide grooming, bath, teeth cleaning, anal grand extractions and nail services for cats and dogs.

Twelve Bridges Dental Group in Roseville

Dr. Raj & Insiya Zanzi provide excellent dental care for you & your family in Roseville and Lincoln at their state of the art dental practice.

Related Articles

Local Spotlight

California Fence and Patio serving Placer County for over 30 years

Loomis, Calif. - California Fence & Patio is proud of their reputation as the premier fencing and patio cover contractor in the Roseville,, Sacramento and Placer County region.

Mobley Pest Services in Roseville serving the community and region for over 20 years

Roseville, Calif.- Fully licensed and bonded, Mobley Pest Services in Roseville has been providing reliable pest control services for well over 20 years. Serving residents and businesses in the greater Placer and Sacramento region, Mobley Pest Services is locally owned and operated in Roseville.

Paul Black’s Window Cleaning serving Roseville and South Placer County for over 30 years

Paul Black’s Window Cleaning Inc. has been serving Placer County’s commercial and residential window cleaning needs since 1990.