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As a future teacher I would teach the children that every child is the same. They may have different color hair, eyes, disabilities but they are all the same.

I would work with the OT, PT and speech in helping provide the best services I could.

Most importantly,I would treat each child as if they didn't have a disability. The disability is just that. It doesn't make the person who they are. They are more special in my heart.

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What is a physical disability?

A physical disability is any condition that permanently prevents normal body movement and/or control. There are many different types of physical disabilities.

Muscular dystrophies - the muscle fibres in the body gradually weaken over time
Acquired brain and spinal injuries - Physical disabilities may result from permanent injuries to the brain, spinal cord or limbs that prevent proper movement in parts of the body.
Spina bifida -  a baby's spinal cord (the nerves that run down the spine) do not develop normally during pregnancy (Neural tube defects).
Cerebral palsy - caused by damage to the parts of the brain which control movement during the early stages of development.
Multiple disabilities- Some children with physical disabilities will have other disabilities, such as intellectual, visual or hearing impairments. They may also have communication difficulties or other medical conditions such as epilepsy or asthma.

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Causes of physical disabilities

There are many different causes for physical disabilities. These include:

inherited or genetic disorders, such as muscular dystrophy

conditions present at birth (congenital), such as spina bifida

serious illness affecting the brain, nerves or muscles, such as meningitis

spinal cord injury

brain injury.

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What is a physiotherapist? They help restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability.

They can help families and people with disabilities by doing the following...

assisting the child to learn how to use parts of the body and develop physical skills

helping a child to become mobile (either independently or by using equipment)

helping parents to become skilful in assisting their child including lifting, positioning and physical care

working with staff from the child's preschool or school.

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What is an occupational therapist? They help a child become fully involved in all aspects of life - at home, at preschool or school and within the general community.

OTs work with each child in different ways depending upon the child's disability, interests and skills.An OT may suggest changes to toys, equipment or furniture and can also advise on ways to improve writing and other hand skills.

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What is a speech pathologist? They assess a child's ability to understand and express thoughts, feelings and ideas, and help to improve communication skills using speech or alternatives to speech. A speech pathologist can also help with eating and drinking problems.

Children with a physical disability may need help with talking. Some will learn to use alternative methods of communication such as:

communication boards or charts

electronic devices

sign language.

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A number of other health professionals may be involved in helping your child. These include the:

orthopedic surgeon who examines a child's muscles and/or bone structure and provides surgery to manage problems related to these

ophthalmologist who is a specialist eye and vision doctor

pediatric rehabilitation specialist who assesses and manages the physical condition of children and young people with chronic (ever-present) disabilities

orthotist who provides corrective equipment such as splints

psychologist who assesses cognitive (thinking) skills and helps to manage emotional and behavioural problems

audiologist who assesses hearing.

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Many different professionals and agencies can provide advice about equipment for children with physical disabilities.

Some equipment for children with physical disabilities can include computer and electronic technology, especially for assistance with communication.

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In some families, physical disabilities can be inherited. If your child has an inherited condition such as muscular dystrophy, you may wish to speak to a genetic counselor . A genetic counselor will study your family history and explain the risks of any inherited condition being passed to other children. This counselor would also be able to provide information to you when you are planning to have children if someone in your family has had an inherited disability.

Speak to your family doctor or contact your local hospital for further information.
A healthy diet before and during pregnancy can help to prevent some physical disabilities. In particular, extra folate before and around the time of becoming pregnant help to prevent spina bifida.
Immunization against serious childhood illness will help to prevent some physical disabilities.
Prevent serious injury to the child's brain or spine through, for example, car and home safety.

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What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?

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What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?

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The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. The ADA is divided into five titles (or sections) that relate to different areas of public life.

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Physical activity and mobility may be impaired by a number of conditions, some of which are permanent, others of a temporary or intermittent nature. These conditions include cerebral palsy, arthritis, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease and repetitive strain injury (RSI). Back or neck injuries may also affect general mobility.

Some students use wheelchairs to enhance their mobility whilst others will walk with the aid of callipers, crutches or walking stick.  Some students may experience chronic fatigue and for others there will be extreme fluctuations of energy from day to day.

Physical disability may also result from head injury (ABI – acquired brain injury). Increasing numbers of students are returning to education following vehicle or sporting accidents in which they have sustained some degree of brain injury.

In providing accommodations for students with physical disabilities we need to remember that some conditions are characterised by periods of remission, so the disability will not always be visible and will not always impact on the student’s ability to function in the educational environment in the same way. Each learner with a physical disability should be assessed individually and accommodations should be implemented based on the unique needs of each student.

Impact of a physical disability

The impact of physical disability on learning will vary but for most students the issues of most significance relate to physical access, manipulation of equipment (e.g. in a laboratory), access to computers, participation in field trips and the time and energy expended in moving around campus.  Students may be affected in the following ways:

When there is limited time to move between venues, students may miss the beginning of a class.

Fatigue is common for many of these students. Using facilities that others take for granted, such as toilets, food-outlets, libraries and lecture rooms, may be a major undertaking.

Some students may experience functional difficulties: an inability to write using a pen; reduced writing speed; involuntary head movements which affect the ability to read standard-sized print; and reduced ability to manipulate resources in the learning environment. They may have difficulty turning pages or using standard computers.

Students may have frequent or unexpected absences from class owing to hospitalisation or changes in their rehabilitation or treatment procedure. Earlier periods of hospitalisation may have meant gaps in schooling.

Students with a long-standing mobility disability may have experienced gaps in their schooling due to periods of hospitalisation.This may have affected their confidence in learning.

Students with a mobility impairment may have fewer opportunities for interaction with other students.  Feelings of separateness in the learning environment may have an impact on learning.

Teaching Strategies

There is a range of inclusive teaching strategies that can assist all students to learn but there are some specific strategies that are useful in teaching a group which includes students with physical impairment.\

The fact that students have a mobility disability may not always be immediately apparent. Needs will vary, and difficulties may fluctuate. Some students will choose to disclose their disability; others will not. At your first lecture, you might invite any students who have a disability to contact you for a confidential discussion of their specific learning needs. You might also ask students what, if any, information would need to be shared with other members of staff, or with other students in the class. Below are some further suggestions:

Students who use wheelchairs, callipers or crutches, or who tire easily, may find it difficult moving about within the constraints of lecture timetables. Absence or lateness may be a result of the distance between teaching venues, so at the end of a lecture you may need to recap any information given at the beginning.

Check that academic activities which take place off-campus (such as industry visits, interviews or fieldwork) are accessible to people with a mobility disability. Consider supplementary laboratory practicals, films or videos as alternative options to field trips.

Students with a mobility disability may sometimes wish to use their own furniture, such as ergonomic chairs or sloped writing tables. Extra space may need to be created in teaching rooms, but this should be done unobtrusively.

Some students with back problems may prefer to stand in lectures or classes, rather than sit.

Some students may need to use a tape recorder or note-taker in lectures. Extra time is involved in processing information acquired in this way. It is common practice in some departments to routinely tape all lectures. This is a practice which will assist a variety of students, including those who may be absent from time to time because of their disability.

Students may need extensions to deadlines for work involving locating and using library resources. Provide reading lists well before the start of a course so that reading can begin early.

Academic isolation may be an issue for students who are unable to participate in some class activities. One-to-one sessions with a tutor may help fill this gap in participation.

Assessment Strategies

In considering alternative forms of assessment, equal opportunity, not a guaranteed outcome, is the objective. You are not expected to lower standards to accommodate students with a disability, but rather are required to give them a reasonable opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.

Students with a mobility disability may need particular adjustments to assessment tasks.

A reader or an oral examination (either presenting answers on tape or participating in a viva) are alternatives to the conventional written paper. An oral examination is not an easy option for students. Give the same time for an oral examination as for a written exam, but allow extra time for the student to listen to and refine or edit responses. In your assessment, allowance should be made for the fact that spoken answers are likely to be less coherent than written answers.

For some students the combination of written and oral examination will be most appropriate. Allow students to write answer plans or make outline notes, but then to answer the question orally. Your assessment should be based on both the notes and the spoken presentation.

Students may need to use a personal computer or a personal assistant in an examination. If so, it may be necessary to provide extra space for equipment, or a separate examination venue if the noise from equipment (e.g. a voice synthesiser) is likely to be distracting for other students.

Provide extra time in examinations for students who have reduced writing speed. Some students with a mobility disability may need rest breaks. Take-home examinations and split papers may be options, given that some students may need double time to complete examinations.

Allow extensions to assignment deadlines if extensive research involving physical activity (e.g. frequent trips to the library or collection of data from dispersed locations) is required.

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1. Physical disability is defined as when a person’s physical functioning, mobility, dexterity, or stamina is limited.

2. People with physical disability make up the largest minority group of the US.

3. In the US, about 74.6 million people have some type of physical disability.

4. Students with disabilities have lower rates of participation in afterschool activities, leading to decreased socialization and leadership development.

5. Of today’s 20 year-olds, just over 1 in 4 will become disabled before they retire.

6. 17.6% of people with a disability were employed in the US in 2013.

7. 41% of people with arthritis are forced to limit their physical activity, making it the leading cause of disability in the US.

8. 27 million women have disabilities in the US.

9. Both African-Americans and American Indian/Alaska Natives have the highest rate of disability among racial minorities, with 24.3% for each group.

10. In the US, 25.6% of people with a disability are physically inactive during the week, compared to 12.8% of those without a disability.

11. Assistive technology is vital to more than a third of people with disabilities being able to take care of themselves at home.

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Interacting with People who have Physical Disabilities  Video

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Interacting with People who have Physical Disabilities  Video

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A child sometimes don't  know how to interact with a person with a disability. In this video, a book was written on what to do and how to be a friend to a person with a disability.
1. Don't laugh, don't point, don't ignore and don't stare
What you can do is smile just like you would to anyone else.
2. Don't talk loud. Especially like they are younger or don't understand
What you can do is face the person and talk in your normal voice.
3. If they have an interpreter, speak to the person with the disability not the interpreter.
4. If they are in a wheelchair, get down to their level to talk.
5. Some people with disabilities have service dogs. Don't pet the dog, unless you have permission.
6. Some have assistive technology, please don't play with their devices.
7. Some may have speech disabilities. It may be hard to understand them at times. Just be patient, and if you don't understand ask them to repeat what they said.
8. Just be yourself. Don't automatically help them. Ask them if they need help.
9. Talk about the same subjects or their interests. They are people too.
10. They can do many things. Focus on what they can do and not what they can't do.
11. Treat people with disabilities the same way you would want to be treated.

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 Real Life Disability with Multiculturalism Video

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 Real Life Disability with Multiculturalism Video

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Maysoon Zayid was speaking to a group of ladies about her disability (Cerebral Palsy). SHe is a very funny comedian and can bring light to the fact that she has a disability. It doesn't hold her back. She learned how to walk at the age of 5years old. She attended public schools. He parents were her advocate, her voice. She learned to dance and danced on Broadway. Her family tried remedies to cure her disability. Her parents reinforced that she could do anything she wanted to do in her life regardless of her disability. She tried her life as an actress and only got an extra in a soap opera. She became a stand up comedian. She started a comedy festival. In 2010 she was invited to be a guest on a cable news show. She is now an advocate to create more positive images of people with disabilities.