Changing mindset on disability

The purpose of this kit and fact sheet is to equip facilitators and educators to organize advocacy and education through sport sessions for children participating in extracurricular and extracurricular activities. These sessions aim to help children better understand disability and its impact on people with disabilities. The objective is to raise awareness among young people, create new perceptions and generate more inclusive behaviours.

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What about?

Definitions & concepts

Impairment : an impairment is a problem in a human body function, organ or any other part. It is a medical term that describes a dysfunction in the human body. An impairment can be permanent or temporary.

Disability : the definition of disability by the World Report on Disability (WHO, 2012) gives a new approach to the concept. It highlights « the transition from an individual, medical perspective to a structural, social perspective (...) in which people are viewed as being disabled by society rather than by their bodies ». Specifically, it is linked to difficulties due to impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions. It therefore refers to both social or environmental factors AND personal factors.

Young girl who plays during a playdagoy session.

cHANGING MINDSET ON DISABILITY

issues and challenges

Two essential ways of furthering inclusion of people with disabilities are adjustments and inclusive behaviors.

Adjustments or adaptations are solutions for society to adapt to people with disabilities. Adjustments are made to limit the disadvantages caused by their impairment(s) in a given situation. Adjustments can be material financial, human, and environmental. These adjustments can give people with disabilities more independence by responding to their specific needs, and so better including them in society.

Inclusive behaviors are attitudes and actions that allow people with disabilities to feel included in society. Inclusive behaviors include all behaviors that help people with disabilities to be more independent : it is often better to help someone to do something than to do it for them. There are lots of ways to show inclusive ebehavior, and they all depend on the situation and the needs of the person. Generally speaking, a behavior is inclusive if it allows you to get to know the person better, and allows that person to feel as they are being seen for who they are and what their needs are, rather than for their impairment(s).

Approaching the subject

With children

The issue of changing mindset on disability can be sensitive for several reasons. Though it affects some children directly, others know little about it. In addition, children are often wary of people with disabilities since, most of the time, they do not understand them. Facilitators should therefore make sure to convey several key elements before and during each session.