Inclusion with a Safety Lens; Program Planning for Students with Disabilities in Physical Activity

Did you know that May 26 – June 1, 2024, marks National AccessAbility Week? Each year, this initiative celebrates the valuable contributions and leadership of persons with disabilities in Canada, promotes the work of allies, organizations and communities that are removing barriers, and encourages ongoing collective effort to become a more accessible and disability inclusive Canada. ⁠ 

Creating an inclusive physical activity environment for students is a dynamic and complex task. Whether it is in a physical education class, intramural program or an interschool activity, these all require a collaborative approach and communication and connections with the student with disabilities, parents/guardians, special education staff, and community partners. This helps the teacher, intramural supervisor, or coach be attuned to the diversity, strengths, and individual requirements and needs of every student and the opportunities available to support participation in physical activity programs. 

Physical activity and education programming that is inclusive recognizes that every student can benefit from the health, social, physical literacy skills that are developed from participation in physical activity. To achieve these benefits, it is important to use an approach that recognizes the needs, abilities, and interests of students with disabilities. This can help to encourage full and complete participation, increase the student’s sense of belonging to the class and the school and discourage physical activity environments that inadvertently become exclusionary or even harmful for students with disabilities.  

Inclusion and Safety Mindedness 

So, how can inclusion with a safety lens provide opportunities for students with disabilities to learn, engage, and participate in physical activities in a physically and emotionally safe environment? 

Inclusion extends beyond mere tolerance or compassion; it requires a deliberate and proactive effort to recognize and celebrate the unique strengths and contributions of every individual. Inclusion hinges on our perception of disability and is the key to our approach to creating safer spaces for every student. This mindset is the foundation to establishing and maintaining a physically and emotionally safe environment for students with disabilities to participate and thrive in physical activity programs. 

Safety mindedness requires an ongoing commitment to knowing the individual needs of the students and ensuring their needs are prioritized. When students participate in physical activity in an environment where they feel physically and emotionally safe the students are more likely to participate and realize the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive benefits associated with being physically active, and the benefits of healthy, active living.

Creating a culture of safety-mindedness that provides every student (students with and without disabilities) safer spaces to participate in physical activity in a variety of settings requires teachers to be aware of, understand, and implement safe practices focused on preventing or minimizing injuries, being aware of hazards and, being alert to possible dangers.  1

Cultivating a Sense of Belonging through Safety 

So, how can we create safer spaces where every student has the right to experience feelings of belonging, and enjoy the lifelong benefits of healthy, active living?  
 
Prioritizing students’ physical and emotional safety when program planning any physical activity can foster a supportive and inclusive physical activity environment that welcomes and includes students with disabilities in a meaningful way.  

Through consultation with the Abilities Centre, Holland Bloorview, Parasport, the Ontario Association for the Support of Physical and Health Educators (OASPHE), Special Olympics, the Students Commission of Canada, Variety Village, and educators and coordinators from Ontario (English and French) School Boards, Ophea is developing a tool to be used alongside the Ontario Physical Activity Safety Standards in Education (OPASSE) to provide more specific information with the intention of:   

  • extending the content in OPASSE to include safety considerations specific to students with disabilities;   
  • supporting teachers in establishing and maintaining a safe learning environment in physical education activities for students with disabilities;  
  • connecting the safety content from this Tool with the Disability-Centred Movement: Supporting Inclusive Physical Education resource; and 
  • encouraging teachers to feel more confident in providing increased physical activity opportunities for students. 

This support tool will be released in time for the start of the 2024/25 school year! 

Voices from our School Communities 

Ophea continues to learn and grow in our knowledge and understanding of how to support students with disabilities in a variety of physical activity settings. This project is providing opportunities for us to work with people with lived experience, in addition to subject matter experts in Health and Physical Education, Special Education, Sport and Recreation, and organizations that are actively working for more accessible and disability inclusive spaces and programming. ⁠ 

“The work that Ophea is doing is so important not only for the physical health of students with disabilities but for their mental and social health as well. When I was in school, I was told to sit on the bench or if I was lucky, I got to be the score keeper, even though I was athletic and wanted to participate as teachers did not know how to safely include me in the activities, so they didn't. It was outside of school that I was able to engage in sport and go on to have an amazing sporting career. As we know that school is where many children have their first engagement with physical activities and sport it is not acceptable to leave children with disabilities on the sidelines. With the resources that Ophea and their community partners are developing, it is my hope that teachers will be empowered to include children with disabilities into all physical activities and no child will be told to sit on the bench.” 


Darda Sales, PhD, PLY, Para Athlete Development Consultant 
Co. Education and Consulting Inc. 

“Participation in physical activity brings life-changing social, emotional, and physical benefits. Providing insight and feedback to this support tool to ensure access is safe and available for students of all abilities is essential to developing the confidence, motivation, and knowledge to be active for life. I hope this work positively impacts educators' confidence to deliver high-quality, engaging physical education for students of all ability levels and backgrounds.” 


Bronwyn Corrigan, she/her, Manager, Physical Literacy & Education, Abilities Centre 

"The project has helped us to continue examining the possibilities for change in our secondary physical education programming for students with disabilities. The learning has allowed us to broaden the scope of activities we are currently facilitating and hope to facilitate in the future. We are hoping that students will feel safer and more motivated to participate in all activities in our physical education classes, and that with this tool, teachers will be more confident in providing opportunities to try a wider range of activities.  The value of having all students feel included is central to our school and board's improvement plan, so this tool will allow us to work towards that goal." 


Nathalie Bendavid, Secondary H&PE Educator 
York Region District School Board 

“All students deserve access to high quality physical education. Through my experience as an HPE and Special Education teacher, I greatly value the work Ophea is doing to support the inclusion of students with differing abilities through this project. The consultation process of the project committee has included perspectives from a wide range of stakeholders, experts and educators to address the unique safety considerations necessary for inclusive education. I am confident that the information and tools developed will be invaluable resources for both general and specialist physical education teachers. These resources will enable us to provide meaningful, inclusive learning experiences that uphold high safety standards and enhance participation for students of all abilities.”   


Itinerant Resource Teacher of Technology 

 

Inclusion is a shared responsibility that belongs to everyone. It requires our collective action to dismantle barriers, challenge stereotypes, and create environments that are welcoming, accessible, and supportive for people with and without disabilities, and of all backgrounds and experiences. Ophea is excited about the upcoming launch of this support tool to assist teachers in program planning a physically and emotionally safe environment that fosters physical activity and the joy of movement – and where diversity is expected, appreciated, and developed. 

For additional information, strategies, and planning supports for inclusive H&PE learning environments, explore: 

To stay up-to-date on Ophea professional learning offerings, resources, and supports, including the upcoming launch of this support tool this Fall, sign up for Ophea’s e-newsletter, eConnection.   

References 

Adapted from: Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE). (2017). An Update on the CODE Student Injury Prevention Initiative: Phase Three. Retrieved from: http://www.ontariodirectors.ca/SIPI/2017/Update_n0_1_SIPP-Final.pdf1