Physical and Motor Disability
Almost no barrier here belongs to the student: it belongs to the environment, the materials and the time allowed. The intervention happens in the classroom, not in the child — and someone who does not speak is not someone with nothing to say.
- available resources
- 21
- available resources
- Pedagogical Strategies
- 7
- Pedagogical Strategies
- Specialized Courses
- 5
- Specialized Courses
Circulation and reach in the classroom
The first barrier is usually the furniture itself. A narrow aisle and out-of-reach materials exclude before any content begins.
- Cross the room seated on a wheeled chair to find the obstacles
- Keep a clear aisle to the board, the door and the teacher's desk
- Shared materials within reach, not on the top shelf
- The student's place is not at the back or the edge: it is where they take part
Positioning and fatigue
Good posture sustains attention. Holding the body stable already costs energy — and performance drops from fatigue, not disinterest.
- Feet supported, trunk stable: without that, the hand is not free to write
- A slant board brings material into the visual field and reduces effort
- Agree with occupational therapy on position changes across the day
- A drop in performance late in the lesson may be postural fatigue
Recording without relying on handwriting
Separate what you want to teach from the act of writing. If the lesson is history, motor difficulty should not limit the answer.
- Offer a ready-made sheet instead of requiring copying from the board
- Accept typed, recorded or dictated answers
- A pencil grip and a non-slip board solve many cases
- Write less and think more: cut the quantity, not the demand
Augmentative and alternative communication
Someone who does not speak is not someone with nothing to say. Communication boards and speech-generating devices give access to the conversational turn.
- Never assume that absence of speech means absence of understanding
- Talk to the student, not about them in front of them
- The board must be available at all times, not only during the activity
- Allow time: building a sentence on a board takes far longer than speaking
Time as an accessibility resource
Every motor action costs more time. Keeping the same deadline for everyone turns a motor difference into a difference in grades.
- Extra time is a rule, set beforehand, not granted on the spot
- Reduce the number of items instead of rushing the student
- Count travel time between rooms in your planning
- Assess what they know, not how fast they can record it
Participation in PE and hands-on work
Adapt the activity instead of excusing the student. Sitting it out with a medical note is exclusion with a stamp.
- Change the rule, the equipment or the space — do not remove participation
- Give the student an active role, not the job of keeping score
- In the lab, adapt the instrument or split roles in pairs
- Ask them how they want to take part before deciding on your own
Autonomy before assistance
Over-helping teaches dependence. The right question is what they can do alone if the environment allows.
- Ask before helping: 'do you want help?' — and accept a no
- Do not push the wheelchair without asking
- Wait: the time they need to do it alone is usually shorter than it seems
- Adjust the environment first; human assistance is the last resort
Classroom accessibility walkthrough
Cross the room from the point of view of someone using a wheelchair or walker, and list the real barriers.
Materials
Objectives
Implementation
Do the route seated, measure the gaps and record every point where you needed help.
Subject communication board
A board with your subject's specific vocabulary, so the student takes part in the lesson and not only in daily routines.
Materials
Objectives
Implementation
Gather the terms your subject uses and build a board that stays available in every lesson.
Redesigned hands-on activity
A procedure for adapting a hands-on lesson so the student really takes part, instead of watching.
Materials
Objectives
Implementation
List the required movements, identify which are barriers and change the rule, the equipment or the role — not the participation.
Foundations of Inclusive Education
Instituto Rodrigo Mendes
AVAMEC — the Ministry of Education training platform
Ministério da Educação
15 distance courses in special education
Ministério da Educação
Escola Virtual.Gov
Enap / Governo Federal
Escola Virtual — Fundação Bradesco
Fundação Bradesco
Learn AAC — practical guide
Extensive free material on alternative communication: how to choose, implement and support it day to day.
Published by: AssistiveWare · EN · Site
Open materialAAC Institute
An organisation dedicated to augmentative and alternative communication, with reference material.
Published by: AAC Institute · EN · Site
Open materialEvidence-based practices for severe disabilities
Includes instruction and support practices applicable to students with significant motor impairment.
Published by: CEEDAR Center — University of Florida · EN · PDF
Open materialParticipation and instructional practices
A TIES Center report on ensuring real participation in the general curriculum.
Published by: TIES Center / ICI — University of Minnesota · EN · PDF
Open materialThe Inclusive Mainstream School
MEC/SEESP booklet on organising the mainstream school from an inclusion perspective.
Published by: MEC / SEESP · PT · PDF
Open materialSpecial Education from an Inclusion Perspective
Foundations of inclusive special education, an official Ministry of Education publication.
Published by: MEC / SEESP · PT · PDF
Open materialDIVERSA — inclusive education in practice
Free platform by Instituto Rodrigo Mendes with practice reports, articles and materials.
Published by: Instituto Rodrigo Mendes · PT · Site
Open materialUniversal Design for Learning Guidelines
A framework for planning lessons accessible to everyone from the start, instead of adapting case by case.
Published by: CAST · EN · Site
Open materialBrazilian Ministry of Education portal
Legislation, policies and official publications on special education from an inclusive perspective.
Published by: Ministério da Educação · PT · Site
Open materialProgress Center — evidence-based instructional practices
A collection of evidence-based instructional practices and support material, applicable across conditions.
Published by: Progress Center — American Institutes for Research · EN · Site
Open materialIntensive intervention — decision tools
What to do when an intervention produces no progress: how to measure, decide and intensify.
Published by: NCII — American Institutes for Research · EN · Site
Open material