Summary: Physical and Sensory Impairments
What do we mean by Physical Impairments?
Students with physical impairments to activity and mobility may be impacted by a wide range of conditions such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis (MS), acquired brain injury (ABI) and spinal injury.
Students with physical impairments may:
- have difficulties with mobility, manual dexterity and speech.
- have their co-ordination and balance affected.
- experience major fluctuations in energy and pain levels from day to day
- need support with personal care.
- have fluctuating symptoms so impacts on students will vary from day to day and over time.
- experience pain, numbness and spasms that can impact their ability to use some equipment.
Some students with physical impairments will use a wheelchair all or some of the time and others may walk with the aid of crutches or a walking stick. Others may not use any walking aid.
Physical impairment therefore covers a broad range of causes and symptoms.
Challenges
Common issues with physical impairments may include the following:
- Transition into university life
- Travelling between different locations and learning environments
- Pain and fatigue impacting on concentration and ability to study.
- Issues with and access to facilities
- Carrying materials required for study.
- Functional difficulties with:
- writing or typing
- writing or typing speed
- accessing written resources
- reading standard sized print
- use of IT such as PCs and laptops
- mastering technical equipment
- Ability to take notes in lectures and other environments.
- Participating in practical activities and tests
- Absences – students may need to attend medical appointments.
- Student confidence may have been impacted by past experiences or feelings of separateness in the learning environment.
Points for Reflection
- What, if anything, might tutors do to support students with a physical impairment when they first arrive at University?
- How might you create the environment within which students with physical impairment feel comfortable disclosing the anxieties and difficulties they face?
- What changes to your teaching could you introduce to support students with physical impairments in playing a full part in your course?
Sensory Impairments
What do we mean by Sensory Impairments?
Sensory Impairment or ‘sensory loss’ are umbrella terms used to describe loss of the distance senses i.e. sight and hearing. Sensory Impaired students are more likely to use the terms visually impaired or hearing impaired depending on their particular impairment.
Students with sensory impairments may often use auxiliary aids and adaptive equipment at university. These may include guide-dogs, canes, interpreters, text to talk software and hearing aids. These aids assist in gaining access to the learning environment but it is important to recognise that they in themselves do not ensure access.
Visual impairment is the term used to describe a loss of sight that cannot be corrected using glasses or contact lenses. Students who are blind or visually impaired vary considerably. There are two main categories of visual impairment:
- Registered partially sighted, which means the level of sight impairment is moderate.
- Registered blind, which means a severe sight impairment where activities that rely on eyesight become impossible.
Like blind and visually impaired students, students who are deaf or hearing impaired vary considerably. Whereas some students can follow conversation using a mixture of lip-reading and watching facial expressions, others struggle to do so. Some pre-lingual deaf students may use sign language to communicate, whereas students with at least some residual hearing may use hearing aids or a cochlear implant. Some students have good speech and communication whereas others do not.
Challenges
Common issues with sensory impairments may include the following:
- Transition into university life
- Orienting and travelling between different locations and learning environments
- Issues with accessing printed materials.
- Difficulty in accessing the internet and electronic devices.
- Finding, organising, transcribing and reading materials
- Participating in practical activities such as lab work, tests and fieldwork
- Functional difficulties including note-taking, use of IT and mastering technical equipment.
- It may take extra time for a student to formulate questions or answers.
- Lack of awareness among peers and teachers
- Confidence may have been impacted by past experiences or feelings of separateness in the learning environment.
Points for reflection
- What, if anything, might tutors do to support students with a physical impairment when they first arrive at University?
- How might you create the environment within which students with physical impairment feel comfortable disclosing the anxieties and difficulties they face?
- What changes to your teaching could you introduce to support students with physical impairments in playing a full part in your course?