This is one of a series of lesson ideas provided by Gill Chesney-Green from Derbyshire in the UK.  (Thanks a plenty Gill! - Kim Flintoff - Webmaster)

LESSON: Disability

AIMS:

• To give an insight into how people may become disabled
• To explore through drama how disabled people may be treated by society

STRATEGIES:

• Teacher in role
• Small group work
• Whole group
• Small groups
• Thought tracking

Discussion about disability and how people can come to be disabled. 

The lesson is about someone who was rendered disabled by an accident.

Teacher makes the point that in some ways this is rather a lottery. Run a lottery to decide who will play the part of the disabled person - small pieces of paper are pulled from a bag and one is marked with a cross. Ask the class to open their papers together. What are their feelings before they open the paper? After finding out whether it is them or not, how do they feel?

Class decide on the name of the person. Make the point that when we read about things like this in the papers the person was often well-liked. This person, too, was well-liked. 

Small groups: In small groups devise and show a scene before the accident happened to show why the person was liked and popular.

"President Kennedy Moment" What were people doing when they heard the news of the accident? How did they feel? Show small moments - FREEZE- then interview/thought track in role

Whole class:

The person's friends want to visit now that they have returned home.

How will they organise this? How do they feel before they knock on the front door? How does the disabled person feel before their friends arrive? (There may be awkward silences, this could be a good learning situation).

They decide to take their friend out as a treat. Where to? When they arrive someone in authority is unhelpful and rude about their friend. How do they react? How do they feel?

Reflection:

• What have we learned? 
• How would we cope if it was us? 
• How would we want to be treated if it was us who became disabled?

Write a letter of complaint to the boss of the person who was being so rude and unhelpful. Set it out properly so that it looks serious and important.

List all the places and activities that a disabled person might find it difficult to use.

Think of our school and list all the ways in which a disabled person would have difficulties using it. 

ASSESSMENT POSSIBILITIES:

Write a diary of the person who has become disabled and include some of the feelings about their life now and the difficulties they experience. 

CROSS-CURRICULAR LINKS: PSE and English

RESOURCES: Lottery papers (one with cross will be the one who is playing the disabled person)