Access for all: securing
education for those with
physical and sensory needs
Karen Deacon
Director of Social Care and Further Education
1
Before we start
• Too fast?
• Unfamiliar English words or phrase
• Activities (simulations)
• You may have a disability
• Questions at the end
2
Key Questions
Do you consider access to the
environment and learning
 Discuss current arrangements. (KD
Flip Chart
 Do you consider the indiduals or the
class?
 Are you open to influence your practice

3
Considerations
Challenge
 Test the theory
 Use the practical knowledge.

4
Overview of this workshop
1) An introduction
2) Explanation of the terms we will be using
3) The impact of sensory and physical needs
4) Simulation
5) Hidden issues: what to look for
6) What we can do: adaptations and support
7) Questions
8) Further reading
9) Some practical suggestions
5
An Introduction
I work for
(.
(Royal National Institute of Blind People)
I am also the deputy Chair of the Eden Academy
Our schools and colleges cover:
Communication and interaction difficulties
Cognition and learning (Moderate to Severe
and Profound)
Social, mental and emotional health
difficulties
Sensory and/or physical difficulties
Associated behavioral difficulties
6
Explanation of terms
• Educational definitions, not medical
• Collective term ‘special education needs & disabilities’
(SEND), or ‘special needs’
Physical
disability
(PD)
Sensory Impairment
Hearing
impairment (HI)
Visual
impairment (VI)
Multi-sensory impairment (MSI)
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Explanation of terms
• Physical disability (PD)
• Physical difficulty or difficulties
• Physical impairment(s) or needs
Any condition that permanently prevents normal
body movement and/or control.
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Physical
disability
There are many different types of physical
disabilities, including:
• bone and joint deformities (they may not grow
normally)
• curvature (bending) of the spine
• partial or full paralysis of the legs
• muscle weakness or tightness
• involuntary muscle movements (spasms)
• We also have many progressive and life limiting
conditions within the schools.
• Temporary mobility issues due to medical
conditions
• Tube feeding is common too
9
Physical
disability
Issues with:
• posture (the ability to put the body in a chosen
position and keep it there)
• movement of body parts or the whole body
(motor control)
• difficulties with bowel and bladder control
• balance and co-ordination
• talking and eating
• touching (tactile issues)
The person may also have communication
difficulties or other medical conditions such as
epilepsy or asthma.
Can include sight or hearing loss
10
Physical
disability
Causes
There are many different causes for physical disabilities.
These include:
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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
Acquired brain injury
injury to other parts of the body
Degenerative conditions such Retts.
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Explanation of terms
Sensory Impairment
• Hearing impairment (HI)
• Deaf
• Hearing loss
• Hard of hearing
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Complete hearing loss
Partial hearing loss
Fluctuating hearing loss
Inability to hear above certain sound levels or
frequencies
Inability to discriminate sounds from background noise
Autism associated with sound sensitivity
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Hearing
impairment
Causes
•
Age
•
Genetics
•
Conductive and sensorineural hearing loss
•
Damage to the brain
•
Noise-induced hearing loss
•
Other ear problems
e.g. Tinnitus
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Explanation of terms
Sensory Impairment
Visual impairment (VI)
• Blind
• Partially sighted
• Sight loss
Visual impairment may result from:
• Damage to the eye
• Damage to the brain
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Visual
impairment
Terms used
•
Functional vision – how a child uses their sight in
everyday situations.
•
Ocular visual impairment – this means that sight
problems are caused by one or more parts of the eyes
not functioning properly.
•
Cortical or cerebral visual impairment (CVI) – this is
when there is nothing wrong with the eyes, but the
brain doesn't process the images properly.
•
Combination of the above two.
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Impact in the classroom
In common:
Physical
disability
Hearing
impairment
Visual
impairment
•
Lack of engagement with the learning
process
•
Lack of academic progress
•
Inability to contribute
•
Missed opportunities
•
Social exclusion - ‘can’t join in’
•
Fatigue
•
Emotional stress
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Simulation
•
Why simulate?
• Must avoid trivialising difficulties
•
How does it benefit?
• Our awareness
• Our practice
•
Volunteers only
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Learning from Simulations
•
Do you know what difficulties/disabilities the children
you teach may have?
•
What does this mean for their individual learning
needs?
•
What support do I need to provide?
How should WE adapt?
• Support
• Equipment
(More later)
18
Physical
disability
Simulation
Different options.
• Spend a day in a wheelchair or only sitting down
• Walk only with the aid of crutches
But try this:
• If you are right-handed, try writing left-handed (and
vice versa)
• (Volunteers) Also try it with the gloves on
19
Hidden issues: what to look for
Physical
disability
People often see a physical difficulty (but
not always!)
May hide other disabilities
May also mask other abilities
20
Hearing
impairment
Simulation
21
Hearing
impairment
Volunteers
•
Put your fingers in your ears
•
Try to follow what the speaker (Karen) is saying
22
Hidden issues: what to look for
Hearing
impairment
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•
•
Is slow to learn to talk, or they are not clear when they
speak
Often asks you to repeat yourself
Often talks very loudly
Often turns up the volume of the TV so that it is very
loud
Regularly feeling tired or stressed, due to having to
concentrate closely while listening
Misses sound cues (e.g. end-of-lesson bells, whistles
during games, verbal instructions)
Watches face of speaker intently
Or may withdraw completely and ‘hide’ in class
Behaviour may deteriorate
23
Visual
impairment
Simulation
The primary sense for learning
Perhaps as much as 80% of our learning occurs
visually
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Visual
impairment
Normal vision
25
Visual
impairment
Central vision loss
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Visual
impairment
Peripheral vision loss
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Visual
Visual
impairment
impairment
Absolute Scotoma
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Visual
impairment
Volunteers
•
Try on the Simspecs
•
Note the eye condition which the glasses are
simulating
•
Look around the room and try to focus on
different things
29
Visual
impairment
‫فراشة‬
How many times does the butterfly touch the
flower?
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Visual
impairment
Read the text
The point of this exercise is to demonstrate that the materials we produce for the classroom –
although entirely suitable for the majority – may not always be read easily by some of our students.
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Visual
impairment
Read the text
Sometimes there are better alternatives.
Less clutter
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Visual
impairment
Sometimes there are better
alternatives.
Less clutter
Larger font/print size
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Visual
impairment
Sometimes there are better
alternatives.
Less clutter
Larger font/print size
Set out clearly and logically
34
Visual
impairment
Sometimes there are better
alternatives.
Less clutter
Larger font/print size
Set out clearly and logically
Sometimes a different coloured
background or overlay
35
Visual
impairment
Volunteers
Remove the Simspecs
36
Visual
impairment
How to guide a person with sight
loss
Guide
Chairs
Down stairs
Changing direction
Up stairs
Approaching
doors
Going through
doors
37
Visual
impairment
Now it’s your turn
Work in pairs
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•
•
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•
•
•
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One person wears the blindfold to simulate sight loss
The Guide will take the person for a short walk (about 4
minutes)
Use the guiding techniques that you have just seen in
the video
Try to encounter a doorway or two, also make some left
and right turns.
LOOK OUT for trip hazards, sharp objects, projections,
other people.
Not on stairs. Not into the hotel foyer.
Ensure the person you are guiding is SAFE all the time.
Do not rush. No tricks!
After about 4 minutes, swap roles.
38
Visual
impairment
As the blindfolded person, how did you feel?
Safe, vulnerable, confused?
As the Guide, what were you thinking?
Did you anticipate problems, such as:
trip hazards?
obstacles to the head?
Were you clear in your directions?
39
Hidden issues: what to look for
Visual
impairment
On entering the room, does the pupil?
Respond to the light from window
Respond to objects in the room
Bump into any objects
Respond to the room light (on or off)
Respond to changes of floor surface
Respond to people in the room
How the pupil responds to people?
Makes eye contact
Smiles at another person
Watches person walk across the room
Turns to another person in the room
Copies actions of another person
40
Visual
impairment
Hidden issues: what to look for
How the pupil responds to objects?
Does the pupil have difficulty locating objects on a 'busy'
background?
Does the pupil locate objects on a high contrast
background?
Does the pupil recognise objects from a range of
distances?
Does the pupil immediately respond to an object?
Does the pupil have a delayed response to an object?
41
Visual
impairment
Hidden issues: what to look for
How the pupil responds to a light source?
Does the pupil fixate on the light source?
Does the pupil respond to light source from lower visual
field?
Does the pupil respond to the light source from the upper
visual field?
Does the pupil respond to light source from left, right?
Does the pupil track the light source.Does the pupil’s
behaviour change?
Does the pupils behaviour change from visual to tactual?
Does the pupil squint?
Does the pupil complain of headaches?
42
What we can do: adaptations & support
Physical
disability
Hearing
impairment
Visual
impairment
•
accessible buildings
•
flexible teaching arrangements
•
appropriate resources and equipment (provision of
tactile and kinaesthetic materials)
•
appropriate seating, acoustic conditioning and lighting
43
What we can do: adaptations &
support
Physical
disability
Hearing
impairment
Visual
impairment
•
adaptations to the physical environment of the school
•
adaptations to school policies and procedures
•
access to alternative or augmented forms of
communication
44
What we can do: adaptations & support
Physical
disability
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hearing
impairment
Visual
impairment
access to different amplification systems
Ipads
Eye gaze technology for communication.
access to low vision aids
access in all areas of the curriculum through specialist
aids, equipment or furniture
regular and frequent access to specialist support.
Therapist support
45
46
One further consideration
The impact of two, or more, additional special needs
Visual
Impairment
Hearing
Impairment
Physical
Disability
• Additional needs
• Learning difficulties
47
Examples
Think of one student and how today
may assist them?
 Willing to share
 Willing to influence others.

48
Reflections
1) Am I more aware of the needs of students
with sensory and/or physical needs?
2) Are there any students who may have
sensory difficulties that we have been
unaware of?
3) Am I doing enough to support these
students?
4) How might I develop my practice?
49
Questions
Physical
disability?
Hearing
impairment?
Visual
impairment?
50
Thank you
51
Contact
If you want a copy of this presentation sent
to you by e-mail, please contact me (Karen
Deacon) at:
karen.deacon@rnib.org.uk
52
Hearing
impairment
Simulation
http://www.hear2learn.org/CICSsim/index.html
 http://www.starkey.co.uk/hearing-loss-andtreatment/identify-hearing-loss/Hearing-LossSimulator
 http://www.ndcs.org.uk/family_support/audiolo
gy/hearing_loss_simulation/two_minute_walk.
html
 http://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-andresearch-hub-research-reports/evidencebased-reviews

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Visual
impairment
The primary sense for
learning
Simulation
http://www.acbvi.org/albums/Vision/ind
ex.html
 http://www.inclusivedesigntoolkit.com/b
etterdesign2/simsoftware/simsoftware.
html

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