Students with Physical Disabilities

Please don’t call them disabled people! Anyone with a disability is living with that disability. He or she is experiencing the limitations of that disability. Given the support and aids necessary for them to function within the scope of their limitations, they would perform. People with disabilities are first of all people, that is - a child, a man or a woman.They have emotions and body image concerns like you and I. No one wants to be constantly identified by their limitations or even short comings. A pupil or student with a physical disability has a limitation on his or her physical functioning. This might impact, in varying levels, on their mobility, dexterity or stamina. Their physical disability may be congenital, from a disabling injury, cerebral palsy, respiratory disorder, pulmonary heart disorders, etc. Their impairments could severally, significantly or reasonably limit other areas of their daily living such as you would have in blindness and epilepsy, for instance. A disabling condition may also come with health impairments that necessitate the use of regular medication. It may warrant the adoption and use of a person centered and dynamic care planning to enable the student function optimally. A physical disability may warrant the use of mobility aids, respiratory aids, speech aids, swallowing aids, toileting aids and indeed sleeping aids. My thrust today is on mobility aids. Students with mobility aids may have splints, crutches, canes, walking frames, wheelchairs (manual or automatic) artificial limbs and mobility vehicles. Teaching students with mobility disabilities would require that you plan sensitively and thoughtfully. Students with such impairments need different types and amounts of assistance and support in order for them to participate fully in class. Firstly, you need information! As the teacher, head-teacher or school, you need to gather relevant, pertinent information from the students’parents,thestudenthimorherselfanddocumentation by or from the health or allied health professionals working with the student(s). Confidentiality is of essence here. No part of such students’ information should be carelessly shared, except with necessary others. These are valuable information that would help the teacher and school to make specific plans and changes to accommodate the student in class. Standard Aids and equipment should be in place in school. These include adaptive aids like hand-rails, non-slip toilet floors, accessible toilet seats and hand-washing sinks, drop-down toilet flush, etc. Others include: access ramps, hoists and slings where applicable, and adaptive eating and drinking aids. Please remember that these adaptations don’t necessarily cost fortunes. Refrain from the mind-set to do everything for the student. This is a Nature-Nurture thing that parents and teachers demonstrate. The teacher must provide help and aids, then encouragethestudenttodotaskandchoresbythemselves.Give achievable goals and enough time to that student to tackle the task. Enabling the student to do things independently helps him or her build self-confidence and independence. It is important that the teacher provides encouragement and patience to this student. Be sensitive to the vibes of the other students in class. Help them to relate with this student appropriately..