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Unit 4.1.2. sample lesson

The real lesson has lesson navigation and other visual features not shown here. The curriculum is hosted on a separate staging website.

LEARN: What is an accommodation?

A barrier makes it difficult or impossible to get somewhere or do something. A barrier is different from a challenge. Challenges help people grow and practice new skills. Challenges can be exciting. But when a task is too hard, it might be a barrier. An individual accommodation might be needed to adjust a difficult task demand.

There are two ways to adjust difficult task demands:

  1. Universal design
  2. Individual accommodations

Universal Design

Universal design makes adjustments available to everyone. Adjustability is built-in. For example, car seats are now designed to be adjustable. Anyone can use the buttons and levers to adjust forward and back, up and down. Adjustable seats help people of different sizes reach the pedals and steering wheel. Adjustable seats allow anyone to change the physical demands of reaching the controls, just like an Air Force pilot.

Here’s another example. Let’s say you are watching a movie on your favorite streaming service. One of the sensory demands of watching a movie is hearing. Is there a way to adjust this demand? Yes, you can turn on the captions. Captions allow you to read what people are saying in the movie. Captions help people who have difficulty hearing. Captions are also useful in noisy places.

Individual Accommodations

But adjustments are not always built-in. Sometimes an individual accommodation is needed. An accommodation adjusts something specific for an individual person. It gives someone what they need when it is not available for everyone. For example, someone with a food allergy needs different ingredients when they order food at a restaurant. They need something different from the regular options.

Individual accommodations are different from universal design. People must request (ask for) individual accommodations. People request accommodations because they are not the regular options. For example, someone with a food allergy to gluten must request a gluten-free version of spaghetti.

Accommodations usually require a reason. They require a reason because they are not the regular option. Common reasons to request individual accommodations are health conditions and disabilities.

QUIZ

Quiz questions are presented one at a time in the curriculum website and automatically graded at the end.

  1. What is a barrier?
    1. A fun challenge that helps you learn something new.
    2. Something that makes it hard or impossible to do something.
    3. A rule that tells you what to do.
    4. A learning game used in school.
  2. How is a challenge different from a barrier?
    1. Challenges are more serious.
    2. Barriers are easier to overcome.
    3. Challenges help you grow and learn new skills.
    4. Barriers always lead to success.
  3. What are the two ways to adjust difficult task demands?
    1. Extra homework and longer school hours.
    2. Group projects and daily quizzes.
    3. Universal design and individual accommodations.
    4. Visual aids and teacher support.
  4. What is universal design?
    1. A special tool made only for one person.
    2. An adjustment that only teachers can use.
    3. A built-in feature everyone can access.
    4. A reward system for high grades.
  5. Which of the following is an example of universal design?
    1. A student requesting a private room for testing.
    2. A school allowing only students with IEPs to use audiobooks.
    3. A move app offering captions that anyone can turn on.
    4. A student getting extra time on a test due to anxiety.