By Connor Nodell, Program Manager of Physical Well-Being
By leveraging the Universal Design for Learning framework, we design sport and physical activities in Expanded Learning programs that improve access and participation rates for students with disabilities.
Participating in sports and physical activities has positive impacts on the physical, mental, and academic well-being of students. Districts have made efforts to increase access to sport and physical activity both inside and outside of the school day, through initiatives like California’s Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P).
But, despite efforts to increase access for all students, those with disabilities often still face barriers to participation in sports and physical activities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Rehabilitation Act, and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) require that students with disabilities are provided opportunity to participate in sports and physical activity, and that reasonable accommodations are made to facilitate that participation.
Yet, some of the barriers to participation come from the way activities are designed in the first place.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a neuroscience-based framework that provides guidelines for creating flexible learning experiences that take all learning types and styles into consideration. The framework has three pillars: Engagement, Representation, and Action & Expression. In applying these three pillars to sports and physical activities, we can universally design sports and physical activity experiences to provide flexible coaching & learning opportunities, so that all learning types and styles are considered and each student is included and engaged in meaningful participation.
Example: Pickleball
Pickleball is one of the many sports Elevo offers as part of our Sport curriculum, and it’s a great example of a game that is designed to be accessible. While Pickleball has been around since the 1960s, the sport exploded in popularity over the past several years, partly because it’s easy to both learn and play. The game as designed is welcoming to beginners and veterans alike. In designing pickleball activities for students in Expanded Learning programs, there are multiple areas we increase accessibility.
The example below is from our pickleball activity called “4 Square Pickleball,” where we are helping students build their foundational skills. As we introduce students to the activity, we provide visual supports, which include sharing diagrams like the one below, as well as walking through the activity area we’ve set up, demonstrating each step of the activity.
Another way we increase accessibility through a skill-building activity like this is by “chunking” the activity into smaller, more manageable tasks for students. Here are a couple examples of how we chunk tasks for skill building.
Staff Training Is a Key, as Well
Even when sports and physical activities are designed for maximum accessibility, the implementation of those activities depends on the staff who are facilitating them. Staff who are new to working in expanded learning programs may have limited experience working with diverse students. Our Coach training is as important as the design of our curriculum and programs. We train Coaches to meet all students where they are and encourage them to creatively build spaces of belonging so all students can participate. Just as with the students we serve, the building of skills is an ongoing process.
Building Accessibility Every Day
Expanded Learning is a space for all students to find belonging, and there are opportunities every day to make programs and activities more inclusive.
Think of a current or past student in your program that hasn’t been able to participate or has had limited participation due to their disability. What’s one thing you might try tomorrow to increase their participation?
References & Resources
Zarrett, N., Veliz, P., & Sabo, D. (2018). Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters. Women’s Sports Foundation. https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/articles_and_report/teen-sport-in-america/
Martin, J. J. (2013). Benefits and barriers to physical activity for individuals with disabilities: a social-relational model of disability perspective. Disability and Rehabilitation, 35(24), 2030–2037. https://doi.org/10.3109/09638288.2013.802377
Steele, D. (2015, February 25). Why make room in sports for kids with developmental disabilities? Aspen Foundation. Why Make Room in Sports for Kids with Developmental Disabilities? – The Aspen Institute – The Aspen Institute
