Physical Disabilities Teacher Resources

Did you ever play capture the flag? I did, and it was so much fun! Your learners with special needs, physical handicaps, or visual impairments can play a classic and highly engaging game with a few minor adaptations. The best part is,...

If you have learners who are interested in adapted driving or wanting more information on the type of accommodations they will need, this is definitely a great place to start. Mary Allison discusses different types of hand controls, tips...

Perfect for review at an IEP meeting, this template walks the user through assessing and assigning modifications for a learner's physical disability. Strengths and needs are determined across five domains: physical functioning,...

Help overcome challenges in eating pizza. Scholars work in groups to design a device that assists a physically handicapped person eat pizza. They build a prototype of such a device to test their designs before building. To finish, groups...

Golf is a popular game that is enjoyed around the world. Invite your pupils with visual impairments or blindness to putt a few balls or make a hole in one. This lesson plan provides several very good suggestions as to how you can teach...

I cannot stress enough how important orientation and mobility training is for learners with visual impairments. To practice maintaining their balance, as well as work on building the confidence to participate in recreational sports,...

Baseball can be so entertaining! Here are a few great ideas you can use to get your learners with visual impairments out on the old ball field. A sound-enhanced pitching device or T-ball stand is used to alert players when it's time to...

Here is a great set of adaptations and modifications that will make your next game of disc golf accessible to all your pupils. Listed are several variations and ways you can modify the game for your learners with physical or visual...

Maybe the idea of putting placemats on trays doesn't sound that great, but it is, especially if you have a physical disability or are visually impaired. This task is one that can be used in a vocational setting and helps develop skills...

Eighth graders read a book whose main character has a physical disability, and complete various related activities. They listen to a guest speaker, simulate experiences at school as a disabled individual through the use of wheelchairs,...

To improve mobility, social skill development, and the concept of position, learners with physical disabilities work together to raise and lower a hula hoop over their heads. The activity is short and intended to be used as a warm-up.

Here is a game that can be played by both sighted and unsighted children. Floor mats, blindfolds, and bowling pins are used to create a real-life battleship game where each team attempts to knock down the other team's pins. 

Don't be fooled by how short this lesson is; it contains a good idea for adaptive PE. The activity is intended to help learners with visual impairments increase motor skills, muscle strength, and mobility. Two kids play a game of tug of...

Learners who are blind or have visual impairments learn to take high steps in order to improve their balance and mobility. They start by marching in place, and then march around the room. Finally, they attempt to step over a towel as...

Eighth graders without a disability are encouraged to gain a new perspective about what it is like to have a physical disability. They experience various examples (blindfolding, soundproof ear protection, wheelchair, etc.) to begin to...

Students role play what it would be like to have a physical disability. For this lesson on acceptance, students listen to the book A Rainbow of Friends by P.K. Hallinan. As a class, the students discuss similarities and differences in...

It's truly amazing how people with physical disabilities are able to find ways to overcome their impairments. Their tremendous perseverance is evident in this handout that describes the ways different sports, ranging from bowling...

Often readers have trouble keeping track of key events in novels. A thorough crossword puzzle refreshes readers' memories regarding key details in the novel Me Before You. Creative clues encourage further review of the text.

Tell time using a number chart! Elementary schoolers of all ages demonstrate their ability to tell time by using a clock. They use this skill to follow a daily schedule.

Young scholars read and discuss the history of special education in public schools related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Students work in groups to design ways to modify classroom activities based on the needs of a...

Students look at a timeline of the development of different disabilities and discuss how different they all are. In this disabilities lesson plan, students then fill out a worksheet of examples of different kinds of disabilities.

After viewing selections from a website and discussing the role of the teacher in educating the disabled, students work in pairs. They analyze the work of an educator and relate the work to a given quote, then decide if that quote fits...

Students examine the basic rights in their state's constitution. They vote on a class issue, analyze how an amendment is passed, develop a flow chart to demonstrate the steps, and write and illustrate a booklet about their basic rights.

Students research a website to find people who made significant contributions to people with disabilities. In this disabilities lesson plan, students then rank the most important contributions.