Challenges faced by differently abled people

Try this. Clench your hands into fists and pretend you have no hands. Now try doing some everyday tasks without using your fingers at all - put on a shirt, open a jar, write your name, open a wrapped lolly... these are some of the activities the year 2-4 Quest kids tried. We talked about how we felt doing these challenges, and how we could deal with these feelings. We looked at strategies to help with the frustration and we discussed the triumph experienced when we managed to overcome difficulties.
I then showed the kids a video of a truly inspiring young lady - Sara Hinesley - who was born without hands. She has recently won a handwriting award. Her determination and perseverance are inspiring.

You might like to look up Nick Vuicich for another amazing example of persevering against the odds. Nick was born with no arms and no legs - a huge challenge! But he manages to play golf, swim and jump off diving boards, surf, play soccer etc. He is a motivational speaker - powerful!

As it was NZ sign language week close to when we did this topic we also looked at being deaf and what challenges that would have. We learnt a little sign language and tried out lip reading.
Some looked at the challenges of limited or no eyesight. Some looked at learning difficulties such as dyslexia and challenges that come with that.

Hopefully this will develop some empathy, and also some skills for dealing with challenges we face and the associated feelings we have - frustration, anger, defeat, disappointment, determination, etc. We looked at facing these challenges with perseverance, not being afraid to ask for help if needed, using techniques to calm ourselves if feeling frustrated (deep breathing, take a walk, have a break, try something different etc).