A Presentation on Diversity Awareness

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A Presentation on Diversity Awareness
Understanding Physical Disabilities

• By
• Beverly Beckwith
• Seana Dichler
• Kristin Fleming
• Tracy Lemus Santos

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Our Definition

• Physical disability
• refers to a broad range of disabilities which
  include orthopedic, neuromuscular, cardiovascular
  and pulmonary disorders. A physical disability
  often impairs ones mobility therefore, the
  individual may rely on assistive devices or
  alternate methods to obtain least restrictive
  mobility.

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Additional Information

• May be congential, result of an injury, or a
  side effect of a disease.
• Some may have hidden or invisible disabilities.

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For this presentation

• Due to the time restaints of this
  presentation, we are going to focus on physical
  disabilities that are orthopedic or neuromuscular
  in nature.

5

• Why is it important to address the needs of this
  particular group??

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• "History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be
  unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be
  lived again. - Maya Angelou

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Timeline of History Physical Disabilities

• Biblical References
• 1200s to 1800s
• Early 1900s
• 1970s
• 1980s to present

8

• How has instructional barriers affected this
  group?

9
Interviews with 5 people who work at the Stark
County Board of MR/DD

• Disabilities
• Paraplegic
• Visual impaired
• Hearing impaired
• Cerebral palsy uses a cane

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Have you ever had difficulty accessing a public
building?

• Some older buildings have steps or very steep
  ramps which makes access difficult.
• The signs for were to go of locations in side
  buildings are printed to small.  The doors are
  often heavy and difficult to reach the handle and
  hold open.

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Difficulty accesses where you work?

• The bathrooms are the worst, the stall for
  handicap are bigger, but not big enough for a
  wheel chair.
• The buttons on the vending machines and the place
  you deposit money are too high. 
• A lot of the door ways are narrow.

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What could be done to assist you?

• More push buttons door that stay open longer.
• Larger signs to mark locations in buildings.
• Have events where there are paved areas to access
  vendors and events.
• Have optional close places for handicap at
  events.
• Lower sidewalk
• Larger bathrooms
• Lower buttons on machines
• Lower handles on doors
• Larger paths and doors
• Lower counters at retail stores and restaurants

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Have you ever had difficulty accessing a public
event?

• There are limited ramps to get off and on
  sidewalks and the cub of a sidewalk is too high
  and steep.
• Events that are on grass areas are difficult for
  the wheel chairs to access and for people walking
  with aides and visually impaired. 
• Some events have special places for handicap but,
  usually the view is not the best. 
• Gravel pathways and parking lots are also
  difficult. 
• All of the people go to events with family or
  friends because it is so difficult to get
  around. 

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Overall

• Do not go out as much because of the need to
  depend on others
• Schedule is dictated by when others are available
  to help
• Very difficult dealing with winter
• Extreme dependence on the kindness of others

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• What do educators need to know about this
  population to work more effectively with this
  group?

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• increasing number of students w/ disabilities
• few teachers have special education degrees
• need appropriate education and a safe education
  environment
• must know educational strategies and
  modifications in health maintenance
• general educators willingness and confidence in
  their professional readiness is critical to the
  successful implementation of inclusive
  educational practices
• teachers must be well versed in a range of areas
• must be willing to collaborate
• apply resources given by family and service
  providers
• must have an ongoing working relationship with
  parents

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What Teachers Should Know and Do To Be Effective

• contribute to feelings of social acceptance and a
  healthy self-esteem
• listen to the voices of students with
  disabilities
• know that school makes them feel like an average
  person
• students want to experience success
• display a positive attitude/model appropriate
  behavior
• recognize they may be in depression
• kneel, squat, or sit down when having
  conversations
• ask person if he/she needs assistance
• find background knowledge to discover needs

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• encourage participation and do their best
• teach every student about disabilities
• focus on strengths
• keep expectations high
• take frequent 1 to 1 time
• always plan ahead
• limit sitting for long periods of time
• assist with testing materials
• know access is a major concern
• keep other students under control in class and
  hallway

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What Not To Do

• do not treat physical disability as a mental
  impairment
• do not treat students as a curiosity
• do not stare
• do not discourage students with a disability from
  trying
• do not seclude students from the rest of the
  class
• do not accept rude remarks
• do not pity the student or feel as though they
  are suffering
• do not move wheelchair out of reach of student
• do not lean or sit on wheelchair
• do not pat student in wheelchair on head

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• What intervention strategies can be implemented
  to promote inclusion and equality for this
  particular group?

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• Paraplegic journalist John Hockenberry made the
  point in Wired magazine that disabled people are
  pushing the boundaries of humanness
• Humanitys specs are back on the drawing board,
  thanks to some unlikely designers, and the
  disabled have a serious advantage in this
  conversation. Theyve been using technology in
  collaborative, intimate ways for years - to move,
  to communicate, to interact with the world.
  People with disabilities - who for much of human
  history died or were left to die - are now, due
  to medical technology, living full lives. As they
  do, the definition of humanness has begun to
  widen.

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Specific Intervention Strategies

• Assistive technology includes any item that is
  used to maintain or improve functional
  capabilities.Remember that "Assistive
  Technology" can mean anything from pencil grips,
  spring loaded scissors, or slant boards to
  computerized technology like mouse balls,
  communication systems, programs, etc

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• High- tech assistive technologies
• 1. Head Mouse Extreme (head) or Integre Mouse
  (mouth)
• 2. Switches
• 3. Alternative Key Board
• 4. Communication Devices i.e. Vantage
• 5. Wheelchairs/Scooters
• 6. Dragon dictate computer

• Low-tech assistive technologies
• Spoon Integra Mouse (mouth)
• 2. Card Holder
• 3. P-touch/ Label Maker
• 4. Alpha Smart
• 5. Canes or Walker
• 6. Spring loaded scissors
• 7. Caddies and Cup holders
• 8. Trays
• 9. Fishing Pole Holder
• 10. Sit/Stand/Transfer Aids
• 11. Phone Holder Clip
• 12. Joysticks and Trackballs

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Examples from above as well as personal examples
of interventions I use in my classroom include
Integra Mouse
Cord Type Zipper Pull
Long Reach Garden Tools
Head Mouse
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Battery Powered Card Shuffler
Turning Knob Operator
Clip On Vegetable Peeler
Jumbo Universal Remote Control
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Resources

• About Special Education. (n. d.). Retrieved
  April 3, 2007 from
• http//specialed.about.com/od/physicaldisabilitie
  s/Physical_Disabilities.htm
• Assistive Technology for Kindergarten/1st Grade.
  (n. d.). Retrieved April 5, 2007 from
• http//www.enablemart.com/default.aspx?store10
• Bella Online The Voice of Women. (n. d.).
  Retrieved April 4, 2007 from http//bellaonline.c
  om/articles/art4791.asp
• Best, S, Cohen, E. T, Dykes, M. K., Frederick, L.
  D., Heller, K. W. (1999). A nationalperspective
  of competencies for teachers of individuals with
  physical and health disabilities. Exceptional
  Children, 65(2), 219-234.
• California State University Northridge. (n. d.).
  Retrieved April 1, 2007 from http//www.csun.edu/
  sp20558/dis/physical.html
• Change, M. K. (1996). Accommodating students with
  disabilities A guide for schoolTeachers.
  Washington, D. C. National Institute on
  Disability and Rehabilitation Research.
• Clarke, G., Curtin, M. (2005). Listening to young
  people with physical disabilities experiences of
  education. International Journal of Disability,
  Development,
• And Education, 52(3), 195-214.

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Resources

• Eareckson, Joni. (1976). Joni. Grand Rapids, MI
  Zondervan Publishing House.
• Employees from Stark County MRDD. (personal
  communication, March 29, 2007)
• Kid Source Online. (n. d.). Retrieved April 3,
  2007 from http//www.kidsource.com/NICHCY/literatu
  re.htmlPhysical
• Krementz, J. (1992). How it feels to live with a
  physical disability. New York Simon Schuster.
• Maine School Administrative District 48 History
  of Treatment of People with Disabilities. (n.
  d.). Retrieved April 2, 2007 from
  http//www.msad48.org/mainfrm.cfm?tpid1878
• Partners in Time. (n. d.). Retrieved April 4,
  2007 from http//www.partnersinpolicymaking.com/hi
  story/index.html
• Reeve, Christopher. (2002). Nothing is
  impossible Reflections on a new life. New York
  Ballantine Books.
• Singh, D. K. (2002). General education teachers
  and students with disabilities A revisit. New
  Britain, CT Central Connecticut State
  University.