Activities
and Simulations
Have you ever wondered
what it was like to actually have a disability? Here are
some activities that make it seem like you do.
Activity
#1
Objective:
To create situations where students and parents can
simulate impairments to vision i.e.. depth perception,
obscured vision and physical impairments i.e.. low muscle
tone (weakness)
Materials:
eye patch, weights, an opaque scarf, balance beam,
ball
Procedure:
Set up each activity as a center. For each activity the
participants will be required to perform it using each of
the materials listed above. Using an eye patch will
simulate depth perception, a scarf for obscured vision,
and weights for low muscle tone.
1. Walk on a
line
2. Walk on a
balance beam
3. Walk on a
circle
4. Climb over
objects
5. Catch a
ball
Activity
#2
Objective:
To experience difficulty with mobility where the students
and parents are only motor challenged
Materials:
wheelchair, cones, hat, ball, mini obstacle
course
Procedure:
Two sets of direction cards will be available. One set
will detail the disability and the other set will detail
the task. Either the parent or the child will have the
disability and the other will be the enabler. Roles can
be switched. A card will be chosen from each pile. The
task will then be performed.
Direction Set
1-Your Challenge
This will list
disabilities with explanations as follows:
Explain disability
instead of terms. i.e. You have no use of your lower
body. There may be the loss of the left side or right
side of your body.
1.
paraplegic
2.
quadriplegic
3. broken leg in 6
places-need for leg rest (sticks straight
out)
4. severe weakness
in legs
5. spina
bifida
Direction Set
2-Tasks
1. pick your hat up
off the floor
2. go between a set
of cones
3. steer in and out
of the door
4. kick a
ball
5. play
catch
6. go through
mini-obstacle course
7. back up and then
go forward
8. go through two
angled mats set up like high walls - this following
directions like playing "hot and cold"
Activity
#3
Objective:
To experience how an autistic person
writes.
Materials:
thick gloves, paper, pencil
Procedure:
Put the very thick gloves (not mittens) on your hands.
Try to write your name, address, phone number, abc's, and
write numbers 0-10. If you have a scanner, maybe you'd
like to scan one of the things you wrote and send them to
us. We'd love to see it, and we might put it on our
site.
