Lesson video

Hello, my name's Ms. Willow.

And I'm going to be your teacher for today's lesson.

Today's lesson is called Disability and Impairment, and it fits into the unit Communities: How Can We Better Understand and Respect People with Disabilities? During this lesson, we are going to be talking about discrimination and sensitive content.

So we recommend you have an adult with you for the duration of this lesson.

If, at any point, you do feel worried or uncomfortable, it's really important that you stop the lesson and that you speak to an adult that you trust.

Okay, let's make a start.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to describe some of the barriers for people with disabilities.

Before we get started with today's lesson, we need to go over some ground rules.

These help to make sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable during today's lesson.

First of all, Laura says that, "We need to listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but it's really important that we listen properly before we make any assumptions, or before we decide how to respond to someone else.

When we disagree with someone, it's important to challenge the statement and not the person themselves." Next, we have Andeep.

Andeep says that, "We need to respect each other's privacy.

It's okay to discuss examples, but we shouldn't use any names or descriptions that identify anyone, including ourselves." If we want to share a story, feeling, or experience, we can refer to someone as, "My friend." This means that we're not going to give away any identifying information.

Next, Jacob says, "No judgment.

We can explore any beliefs and misunderstandings that we have about a topic without fear of being judged by others." And finally, Izzy says that, "We can choose our level of participation." Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in with discussion.

We should never put anyone on the spot, as this can make people feel uncomfortable.

We're now going to take a look at the keywords for today's lesson.

Our first keyword is impairment.

This is a characteristic or feature that might impact the way that a person's body or mind functions, that physical appearance, or cause them pain.

Next, we have disabilities.

This is the barriers experienced by a person with impairments in a world that's not designed for their needs.

And finally, we have barrier.

This is anything that stops or prevent something from happening or being achieved.

Today's lesson is split into two learning cycles.

Our first learning cycle is called How Are Impairment and Disability Different? And our next earning cycle is called What Is the Social Model of Disability? Let's make a start on our first earning cycle, How Are Impairment and Disability Different? Sometimes a person may be born with or develop a condition which causes their body or mind to function differently to other people's.

Ms. Walsh says that, "When a person's body or mind presents some of these differences, it's known as impairment." There are four main types of impairment.

Physical, so this is anything that impacts a person's mobility or motor skills, so this could affect their movement.

Sensory, this is anything that impacts a person's senses, so for example, their hearing or their vision.

Developmental, this is anything that impacts the ability of a person to learn and develop.

And finally, psychosocial.

This is where a mental health concern impacts a person's ability to function.

Some impairments are invisible, so you can't tell that someone has them just by looking at them.

So some examples of this include chronic pain conditions, mental health impairments, like anxiety or depression, diabetes, epilepsy, and autism.

So this is important to remember, because someone might need adjustments, even if their impairment is not visible.

And we shouldn't make assumptions about whether someone has an impairment or not just by looking at them.

It's also important to remember that invisible impairments are just as real and valid as visible ones.

First, we're going to look at physical impairment.

And Lucas is gonna share his experience.

He says, "I was born with a physical impairment, which means that I cannot walk unaided.

I use a wheelchair to move around instead." Now, we're going to look at an example of sensory impairment.

And Sofia's gonna share her story.

She says, "I was born with a sensory impairment, which means that I have profound hearing loss.

I use a cochlear implant to help my hearing." Robyn's going to share her story.

She says, "I was born with autism, which is a developmental impairment.

This means that my brain works differently to other people's.

My teachers help me to process information in the best way possible, for example, by using a visual timetable and ear defenders, so that I can focus and do my best work." Next, we're going to take a look at psychosocial impairment.

And Ethan's going to share his story.

He says that, "I sometimes struggle with a psychosocial impairment in the form of anxiety.

This can make it hard to focus in class.

My head of year has been really helpful in teaching me some self-care strategies, so that I can cope with my tricky emotions and get the best out of school." Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're doing with this learning cycle so far.

Which of the following are a type of impairment, can you remember, A, sensory, B, developmental, or C, social? Which of those are a type of impairment? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said the A and B are correct.

Sensory and developmental are both types of impairment.

Well done if you got this right.

C, social, is not correct, because an impairment can be psychosocial, not just social on its own.

Well done if you said the same thing.

Impairment and disability are not the same thing, and this is really important to remember.

A disability is caused by the barriers experienced by a person with impairments in a world that's not designed for their needs.

People are disabled by their environment if it isn't adjusted to meet their needs, making it difficult for them to participate fully.

Lucas shares his story.

He says, "My impairment means that I can't visit my local comic bookstore, as it's on the top floor of a building without a lift.

However, I can visit my local library to read comic books, as they're on the ground floor.

My impairment hasn't changed, but my disability has." Sofia says, "My sensory impairment means that I can't hear the teacher properly when the classroom is noisy.

The environment has caused a disability.

However, when my teacher wears a special microphone, which links to my cochlear implant, I can hear the instructions far better.

My impairment hasn't changed, but my disability has." Let's do another check for understanding to see how you're doing.

And this time, I'd like you to decide if the statement is true or false.

A disability does not change in different environments.

What do you think? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is false.

But why? You might have said that, "Many people are disabled by their environment if it isn't adjusted to meet their needs.

However, a disability can change from one environment to another." Remember, it's someone's impairment that doesn't change, not whether they're disabled or not, because this is related to their environment.

Well done if you said the same thing, and if you remembered this.

We're now moving on to our first practice task, and you can put all of your learning from this learning cycle so far into practice.

For this task, I'd like you to, with a partner, discuss the following questions, what is an impairment, and what is the disability? Pause the video, and we'll go through some odd answers in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

For question number one, what is an impairment? You might have said that, "An impairment is when a person is born with or develops a condition which causes the body or mind to function differently to other people's.

Impairments can be physical, sensory, developmental, or psychosocial." And for question number two, what is a disability? You might have said that, "A disability is when an environment is not adjusted to meet the needs of someone with an impairment, making it difficult for them to participate fully.

For example, a building without a lift could result in a disability for a wheelchair user, but a building with a lift meets their needs.

So this person's impairment hasn't changed, they may still need to use a wheelchair, but they're no longer disabled by their environment, because the building has a lift." Well done if your answers were anything like this.

We're now moving on to our second learning cycle.

And well done for your hard work so far.

This learning cycle is called What Is the Social Model of Disability? The social model of disability is a way of understanding disability that was developed by people with disabilities themselves.

Dr.

Elsie says that, "The social model of disability suggests that it's barriers in society that causes a person's disability and not the impairment itself.

Some of the barriers faced by people with impairments could include physical, attitudinal, or communication barriers." Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're doing with this learning cycle so far.

I'd like you to complete the missing words below.

The social model of blank suggests that it is blank in society that causes person's disability, not the blank itself.

Where I said the word blank, can you decide which word is missing? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Okay, the missing words were disability, barriers, and impairment.

So the complete sentence should now say, "The social model of disability suggests that it is barriers in society that cause a person's disability, not the impairment itself." Well done if you said the same thing.

First of all, we're going to talk about physical barriers.

So some examples of physical barriers might include a lack of ramps, lifts, wide enough doorways, or inaccessible toilets for wheelchairs or people with mobility aids.

Fixtures, so for example, door handles and switches, that are difficult for people with restricted limbs or arthritis to grab.

A lack of textured pavements or traffic lights, which do not emit a sound for visually impaired users.

And absence of a hearing loop for those with hearing impairments or hearing aids.

These are just some of the examples of physical barriers that could be in an environment.

Next, we're going to talk about attitudinal barriers, so these are negative stereotypes, assumptions, or beliefs that are held about people with disabilities.

Dr.

Elsie says that, "It's extremely harmful to suggest that people with disabilities could overcome barriers if they just tried a little bit harder, or that their disability is caused by a lack of effort.

This is a myth.

The lives of people with disabilities can be improved by adapting the environment and by removing the barriers in environments." Let's do another check for understanding.

I'd like you to decide if the statement is true or false.

It's a harmful myth that people with disabilities face issues because of a lack of effort.

What do you think? Is this true or false? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that it is true.

It's true that it's a harmful myth that people with disabilities face issues because of a lack of effort.

This isn't true.

People with disabilities often face issues because of barriers in their environment, not because of a lack of effort.

Well done if you said the same thing.

Next, we're going to talk about communication barriers.

So this is a lack of accessibility for the communication needs of people with impairments.

So some examples of communication barriers might include a lack of British Sign Language, or BSL, interpreters, or subtitles for people with hearing impairments, a lack of information in different formats, for example, braille for people with visual impairments, and signage at a height, which is then inaccessible for wheelchair users.

These are all examples of communication barriers.

Let's do another check for understanding.

What sort of barrier is a prejudiced comment about a person with disability? Is it A, physical, B, attitudinal, or C, communication? What sort of barrier is a prejudiced comment about a person with disability? What do you think? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that B is correct.

A prejudiced comment about a person with a disability is an example of an attitudinal barrier.

Well done if you said the same thing.

People can be held back when adjustments aren't made for their individual needs.

Ms. Walsh says that, "By considering attitudes towards people with impairments and thinking carefully about the way in which places are designed, we can remove barriers to ensure that all people are treated fairly, including people with impairments." In the UK, the Equality Act of 2010 makes it illegal to discriminate against someone because of a protective characteristic, such as disability.

This law requires schools, workplaces, and public places to make reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities.

It protects people from unfair treatment because of an impairment that they have.

It's based on the social model of disability, recognizing that barriers in society are the problem, not the person with an impairment.

This means that when we talk about the importance of removing barriers, it isn't just the right thing to do, it's actually the law.

Let's do another check for understanding to see how you're doing.

Which law in the UK makes it illegal to discriminate against someone because of a protected characteristic, like disability? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that, "The Equality Act 2010 makes it illegal to discriminate against someone because of a protected characteristic, like disability." Well done if you said the same thing.

Lucas wants to share his experience.

He says that, "In recent months, my local comic bookstore has had a new lift installed.

I still visit the library, but I can now go to the comic bookstore too.

Not only do I get to spend time with my friends there, but I also have access to a wider selection of comics than before." Lucas now has the same access to the store as his friends, he's being treated fairly, because a barrier, which was the local comic bookstore not having a lift, this barrier has now been removed.

So this means that even though Lucas's impairment hasn't changed, he's now able to access the environment in a way that he couldn't before.

Sofia says, "Our classroom has just been fitted with a hearing induction loop.

This means that when we watch video clips on the board, my cochlear implant can detect and hear the sound more clearly." In this example, Sofia now has the same access to information as her classmates, so she's being treated fairly, and she's not being put at a disadvantage because of her hearing impairment.

Let's do another check for understanding.

I'd like you to add one word to this statement to make it correct.

People can be held back when adjustments are made for their individual needs.

Can you add one word to that statement to make it correct? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you added the word not to this statement.

Your statement should now say, "People can be held back when adjustments are not made for their individual needs." Well done if you got this right.

Creating a more accessible world is something that everyone can contribute to, not just adults.

So you can challenge attitudinal barriers towards people with impairments.

Speak up if you hear someone making assumptions or negative comments about people with disabilities, if it's safe to do so.

And you can tell a trusted adult too.

Avoid using disability-related words as insults, so for example, describing something you dislike as lame, and get to know classmates with disabilities as individuals, without making assumptions about their abilities or needs.

This means making assumptions about what they can't do, which could limit them in some way.

It's important to ask questions in a curious and kind way, so that we can get to know everyone as an individual.

We can also consider physical barriers in our environment.

So ensure that you don't block accessible toilets, ramps, or doorways.

Offer to hold doors open for people who may need assistance.

Notice when spaces aren't accessible for people with impairments, and raise this with teachers, family members, or the relevant organization, so that they can make a change and make the space more accessible.

You can also support communication access by facing people when you're speaking, so that they can see your lips, if needed.

Use clear handwriting, fonts, and formatting when sharing notes with others.

And include captions or subtitles when creating videos or presentations.

Ms. Walsh also wants to remind us that, "Making adjustments isn't special treatment.

It's about fairness and ensuring that all people can participate fully, and they're not being left out.

When barriers are removed from an environment, everyone benefits." Let's do another check for understanding.

Which of the following actions would help to remove barriers for people with disabilities, A, assuming what helps someone needs and offering assistance for without asking first, B, using clear formatting, facing people when speaking, and challenging negative comments, or C, only thinking about accessibility when specifically asked to make adjustments? Which of the following actions would help to remove barriers for people with disabilities? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself Well done if you said that B is correct.

By using clear formatting, facing people when speaking, and challenging negative comments, these are all ways that we can remove barriers for people with disabilities, and we can make the environment more accessible and inclusive for everyone.

Well done if you said the same thing.

We're now moving on to our final practice task.

And well done for your hard work in this lesson.

I'd like you to read the scenario and answer the following questions.

Here's our scenario, Meadow says that, "My family and I went out for a meal last weekend with my nan, who uses a walker as mobility aid.

There was no ramp up to the entrance, so we had to carry her walker and help her up the steps.

Once inside, she needed the toilet, but the doorway was not wide enough for her walker to get through." The first question that I'd like you to answer is, what barriers did Meadow's nan face? And question two, what could the restaurant do differently? Pause the video, and we'll go through some model answers in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said for each question.

For question one, what barriers did Meadow's nan face? You might have said that, "Meadow's nan faced a physical barrier." For number two, what could the restaurant do differently? You might have said that, "The restaurant could have a ramp for access, so that people with mobility aids, like a walker, could gain entry into the building on wheels.

They should also consider having doorways that are wide enough for wheelchairs and other mobility aids to get into the toilets." Well done if your answers were anything like this.

We're now going to summarize the key learning from today's lesson.

In today's lesson, we've learned that impairment is when a person might be born with or develops a condition which causes their body or mind to function differently to other people's.

We've learned that a disability is caused by the barriers experienced by a person with impairments in a world that is not designed for their needs.

We've learned that the social model of disability suggests that it's barriers that cause a person's disability and not the impairment themselves.

And by considering attitudes towards people with impairments and thinking carefully about the way in which environments are designed, we can remove barriers to ensure that all people are treated fairly.

During this lesson, you might have found that you've got some worries of questions.

And if you do, it's really important that you share these with a trusted adult.

There's also some resources on the screen that are there to help you too.

Well done for your hard work today.

I hope to see you again soon.