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Physical disability refers to impairment in a person’s body structure or function that is caused by temporary, intermittent, or permanent conditions at muscles, bones and/or nervous system. The nature and severity of physical disability may have different impacts on one’s physical activity, mobility, and learning, some of which are listed below.

- Students with any physical disability may commonly experience fatigue, thus affecting their efficiency in studying.

- Students with a mobility impairment may need more time to commute between teaching venues, thus leading to lateness for classes.

- Students with a mobility impairment may need special furniture and/or equipment (e.g. height-adjustable table); in particular, students with back problems may prefer to stand from time-to-time during lectures.

- Students with functional difficulties (e.g. inability to write with a pen, reduced writing speed, involuntary head movements which affect reading ability, difficulty using standard computers) may need special equipment or arrangements to facilitate their learning.

Useful Tips for Supporting Students with Physical Disability

• Inclusive Teaching:

1. Provide lecture materials prior to class to facilitate students’ preparation for class
2. Permit audio/video recordings of lectures to facilitate students’ revision/learning after class
3. Recap any important information given at the beginning of the class, in case students with physical disability are late as a result of the distance between teaching venues
4. Provide allowance for class attendance if needed
5. Consider supplementary videos or materials as alternative options to field trips, if applicable
6. Provide reading lists and/or information about individual and group assignments as early as possible, if any of these involve locating and using resources in libraries or off campus
7. Discuss special learning and/or exam arrangements privately with students concerned
8. Acknowledge and show respect for diversity in learning needs

• Assignment & Assessment:

1. Consider alternative assessment modes, especially for those with functional difficulties
2. Consider extensions in assignment deadlines
3. Consider extra time and supervised breaks in quizzes/tests/exams if necessary
4. Permit the use of a computer/laptop in quizzes/tests/exams
5. Arrange a separate and easily accessible venue for quizzes/tests/exams to minimize distractions and stress

Reference

Inclusive Teaching for Students with Physical Disability (Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training, Australia)

Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) is a neurological disorder that causes difficulties in perceiving or processing auditory, visual or spatial information and interferes the ability to learn or apply specific learning skills (e.g. reading, writing, arithmetic calculations). Types of SpLDs include the following:

• Dyslexia – learning difficulties in reading, writing, and spelling; the most common type of SpLD
• Dyscalculia – learning difficulty in performing arithmetic calculations

General Difficulties Encountered by Students with SpLD

1. Reading and Writing:

- Slow reading rate and reading comprehension, especially when reading complex sentence structures and passages
- Erratic and inconsistent spellings
- Reversals or transpositions of letters in words, or of numbers in figures, formulae and dates
- Omission of parts of words or sentences, or omission of auxiliary verbs, pronouns and prepositions
- Lack of proper order or demonstrated sequence in writing and mathematical calculations
- Visual memory skills may be comprised, in comparison with oral skills

2. Information Processing:

- Difficulties in following sequences or complicated directions
- Difficulties in integrating materials from a number of sources and/or associating ideas
- Difficulties in interpreting two- or three-dimensional models or diagrams

3. Emotional:

- Potential heightened anxiety levels in assessments (e.g. tests, exams)

Useful Tips for Supporting Students with SpLD

• Communication:

1. Communicate in clear and concise words; avoid using metaphors
2. Break down complex requests/ instructions in steps and stages and provide these in both verbal and written forms
3. Repeat key instructions or points if necessary

• Inclusive Teaching:

1. Elaborate complex concepts with concrete examples
2. Consider presenting information in different formats (e.g. handouts, worksheets, lists, flow charts, videos) and make use of colour to highlight/distinguish key points
3. Present materials and notes in bullet points
4. Provide lists of technical/professional jargons in advance, if these will be used in class
5. Provide lecture materials prior to class to facilitate students’ preparation for class
6. Permit audio/video recordings of lectures to facilitate students’ revision/learning after class
7. Summarize and recap key concepts from time-to-time throughout/at the end of the class
8. Provide oral feedback if feasible
9. Discuss special learning and/or exam arrangements privately with students concerned
10. Acknowledge and show respect for diversity in learning needs

• Assignment & Assessment:

1. Encourage the student to submit an early draft of assignments to allow the opportunity for feedback to the student
2. Consider extensions in assignment deadlines
3. Consider extra time and supervised breaks in quizzes/tests/exams if necessary
4. Arrange a separate venue for quizzes/tests/exams to minimize distractions and stress
5. Keep written instructions and sentences short in quizzes/tests/exams
6. Make use of bullet points, lists or distinct parts in quizzes/tests/exams to facilitate the student’s understanding of the questions

Reference

Inclusive Teaching for Students with Specific Learning Disabilities (Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training, Australia)

Speech and language impairment (SLI) refers to any one or combination of the following conditions that may lead to communication difficulties:

• Articulation disorder – characterized by substitutions, omissions or distortions of speech sounds
• Fluency disorder – characterized by atypical rate, rhythm, and repetition of sounds
• Voice disorder – characterized by differing production and/or absences of vocal quality, pitch, loudness, resonance, and/or duration that is inappropriate for an individual’s age and/or gender
• Language disorder – characterized by impaired comprehension and/or use of spoken, written and/or other symbol systems

General Difficulties Encountered by Students with SLI

- Difficulties in communicating effectively with others which may affect one’s self-esteem and development of social relationships
- Difficulties in understanding and/or giving oral presentations
- Struggles in following rapid verbal exchanges which may limit one’s participation in classes
- Lack confidence in speaking in front of public or a large group of people

Useful Tips for Supporting Students with SLI

• Communication:

1. Check with the student to confirm the preferred mode of communication and required learning aids, if any (e.g. face-to-face, email, sign interpretation, etc.)
2. Focus on the message the student is trying to communicate rather than grammar and pronunciations
3. Restate the student’s message to verify your understanding if necessary
4. Make use of visual/non-verbal cues and gestures if needed
5. Allow sufficient time for the student to process and respond to information you have provided

• Inclusive Teaching:

1. Encourage the student to find a seat where he/she will have an unobstructed line of vision
2. Make use of assistive listening/real-time captioning devices as provided by the student
3. Enable real-time captioning for online classes
4. Provide lecture materials prior to class to facilitate students’ preparation for class
5. Permit audio/video recordings of lectures to facilitate students’ revision/ learning after class
6. Adjust lighting in the teaching environment, especially for students who depend on lip-reading and/or sign interpretation service
7. Discuss special learning and/or exam arrangements privately with students concerned
8. Acknowledge and show respect for diversity in learning needs

• Assignment & Assessment:

1. Consider alternatives to those assignments and/or examinations that are based on oral presentations
2. Consider extra time in quizzes/tests/exams if necessary
3. Arrange a separate venue for quizzes/tests/exams to minimize distractions and noise
4. Provide written instructions during exams

References

1. Definitions of Communication Disorders and Variations (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, United States)

2. Fact Sheets about Various Speech, Language, and Communication Disorders (The Hong Kong Association of Speech Therapists)