Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: Everyone needs support

25 minutes

Find Out: Understanding assistive devices

20 minutes

Take Action: Assessing suitability and needs

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

investigate a range of assistive devices.

Success criteria

Students can:

describe the purpose of assistive devices
implement strategies to build awareness, respect and empathy in their community.

Tune In: Everyone needs support

Step 1

Pose the following question to students:

What things or devices do you know of that make our lives easier?

Invite students to brainstorm in their table groups. Next, ask students to share their responses and record their answers on the whiteboard. Some student responses may be:

step stools
shoulder straps on backpacks
pencil grips
glasses
shoe horns
Velcro shoe straps
elastic shoe laces

Step 2

Next, divide their responses into 2 categories:

Category 1: Those that help everyone
Category 2: Those that help some people

Prompt students to reflect on the new categories, and initiate a class discussion by asking them:

Do all people have the same needs?

Step 3

Explain to students that while everyone has the same basic needs (such as safety, comfort, and independence), we all use different types of assistive devices to help meet those needs in unique ways. For example, some devices assist individuals who may have difficulty with movement, vision, or performing everyday tasks.

Revisit the list of assistive devices and discuss the different ways each one can help people. For example, Velcro shoe straps can help people who:

don’t have the mobility in their hands to tie their shoelaces
find it hard to reach their feet
have just 1 hand, or usually only have 1 hand free (maybe they are holding a walker or something else they need)
need to put on and take off their shoes frequently.

We call this type of assistive device ‘universal design’. While some assistive devices are designed for very specific purposes, others benefit nearly everyone who uses them.

Find Out: Understanding assistive devices

Step 1

Explain to students that they will explore how different assistive devices can meet various needs. Use the Visual Explainer to support as you explain to the class the various reasons for using assistive devices.

Reiterate to students that there are many different reasons why someone might have an upper limb difference. Some people have a congenital limb difference (they are born with it), and others have an acquired limb difference. Limb differences can result from injury, illness, or variations in the way the body develops.

Ask students: What types of upper-limb differences could there be? Answers might include people with:

full arms but no movement in either or both arms
an arm without a hand
a differently-shaped hand with more or fewer than 5 fingers
an arm that ends just below the elbow and has an elbow joint
an arm that ends above the elbow with no joint.

Explain to students that much of our day-to-day lives is designed for people without limb differences. Ask students to consider the tasks they perform every day that aren’t designed with people with upper-limb differences in mind.

Learning support: To help scaffold student thinking, ask them to act out everyday tasks, such as putting on a shirt or eating breakfast. How do they use their hands?

Step 2

Explain to students that individuals with upper-limb differences often need to find alternative ways to perform tasks. Use the final slide to invite students to give it a go!

Explain to the class that it is their task to attempt a number of tasks using 1 hand only, such as:

using a tablet
holding a pencil and drawing
cutting with scissors
opening a book or notebook
carrying a tray or a stack of books
tying a ribbon or bow
typing on a keyboard
tying shoelaces
opening a drink bottle
zipping a jacket
packing or unpacking their school bags

Allow students time to attempt as many tasks as they can on the list. After the students have attempted some of the tasks, regroup and ask them the following questions:

Which tasks were surprisingly tricky?
What solutions did you come up with to help you do a task? Did you use a device or a method to create a solution?
What else may have helped you to complete the task?

Step 3

Explain to the students that they will now meet people who use assistive devices designed for specific purposes. Divide students into 4 groups and provide each group with a profile. Instruct students to read the assigned profile in their groups and determine how this person utilises their assistive devices.

Once students have read their assigned case study, gather the class to share what they have learnt. This will allow each group to learn about the range of assistive devices.

Take Action: Assessing suitability and needs

Step 1

Now that the students have met some people who use specific assistive devices, they will investigate very specific (and very cool!) ones. For this task, students will explore how these devices work and how they meet needs, and consider how they would assist in a school environment.

Step 2

Divide the class into groups, assigning each group 1 of the devices (or allow students to choose their device) from the list provided below:

insulin pump
continuous glucose monitor (CGM)
leg braces
pacemaker
basketball wheelchair
rugby wheelchair
track wheelchair
crutches
hearing aids
cochlear implants
text-to-speech devices
refreshable braille display
blind soccer ball

For each device, students should:

research how the device works and what it is used for
identify the specific needs of the user that the device helps to meet
consider the school environment: How would this device help the user in their classroom, during lunch breaks, or in physical activities at school?

Students can record their information and findings in a format of their choice, such as written, digital or audio.

Numeracy extension: Assistive devices are not usually cheap! Students can research the device's cost and expected lifespan. They can calculate the cost of this device over the average user's lifespan. This is sometimes referred to as a ‘disability tax’ and is a hidden cost often not considered by non-users.

Step 3

After completing their investigations, ask students to share the information they discovered with the class. After all the groups have shared their findings, ask students to reflect on which devices they found the most interesting and why.

Reflection

Show the students slides 8-12 of the Visual Explainer, and ask them to describe the pictures. After showing the students all the slides, ask them how many of those descriptions included the assistive device as either the first thing they mentioned or the main component of their description.

Ask students to consider:

How might people react to others using assistive devices in public?
Do they notice any positive or negative reactions?

Explain to students that it can be common for people to see the device first and the person later. How do you think these responses affect the person using the device?

Explain that an upstander is someone who speaks up or takes action to support others, especially when they see someone being treated unfairly. Ask students to reflect on how they can be upstanders and create supportive, inclusive communities where everyone feels respected and valued, regardless of the devices they use. Encourage students to recognise that, in any situation, the first step is to treat everyone with respect and dignity, as individuals. Ask students to reflect on how they would like to be treated by friends, family members, teachers, and strangers in public. See if they can create simple conduct guidelines that everyone can use.

This might look like:

Ask people how you can help – don’t just assume you know what they need.
Work together to find ways to include everyone.
Be kind and patient.

Learning support: If you have a class or school code of conduct, this is the perfect time to remind students about it and demonstrate how it applies to everyone. For some students, it may help to practice applying it to specific situations, such as ‘You go to the playground, and there is a boy in a wheelchair there with his family’, or ‘A girl who wears hearing aids joins your soccer team.’

Assistive Devices

Go to

Summary

Learning intentions

Success criteria

Lesson Guides and Printables

Lesson Details

Skills Required

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Additional Information

Related Professional Learning

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