1. “Mobility and the Mouse” Take several HS Visually Impaired students doing traditional mobility, Combine them with a group of young adults with cognitive disabilities doing generic mobility – drop them off at Disney World And what do you get?

2. Participants: *HS Students with a Visual Impairment * HS Students & Young Adults with a Cognitive Disability

3. Premise: A collaborative learning environment is established in which CD & VI students rely on each other to build their skills and help each other increase their levels of independence, self esteem, and mobility skills. VI students are mentors / role models for the CD students, assisting with: ◦ Counting money ◦ Making purchases ◦ Assisting non-verbal students ◦ Meal planning & preparation ◦ Maintaining a time schedule ◦ Read braille maps ◦ Assisted with ADL skills in the rooms The CD students assist the VI Students with: ◦ Reading menus in dark restaurants ◦ Sighted guide at night within the crowds ◦ Reading park signs ◦ Navigating the airports ◦ Locating luggage & seats on the plane ◦ Locate bus stops & read the names on the bus

4. Checking in at the Airport Our Journey Begins

5. Navigating the Airport

6. Getting to the Gate

7. First Time on a Plane Helping each other find their seats

8. GETTING TO THE BAGGAGE AREA

9. CHECKING INTO THE HOTEL

10. HOME AWAY FROM HOME Girls & Guys are in their own villas and help each other with daily tasks.

11. PLANNING & SHOPPING FOR MEALS CD Students: locate items & read prices VI Students: estimate costs & pay for items

12. MEAL PREPARATION VI Students – work on cooking skills CD Students – read directions on packages

13. It’s a Vision Thing! “Peanut butter is great on ice cream!”

14. Mobility Around the Parks Generic mobility skills are worked on with the CD students, including how to be a sighted guide. Traditional Mobility skills are worked on with the VI students.

15. Taking the Bus CD Students read the bus schedule VI Students help to figure out the times

16. Getting to the Parks CD Students reading bus stop signsAnd doing sighted guide

18. Arriving at Magic Kingdom

19. Mobility in the Park VI Student Using Braille a MapCD Students reading the print maps

20. Cane travel in less crowded areas CD students are the sighted guides in the crowds and at night

21. EVERYONE WANTS TO USE THE CANE (Except the Visually Impaired Student!)

22. CD Students do sighted guide to the rides VI Students get to drive!

23. Getting directions Shopping

24. Buffet Lines VI Student entering a Pin number CD students describing what’s on the buffet

25. Technology Checking for dinner reservations & reading menus using an iTouch. CD & VI students programed them in together before they left for Disney.

26. Dining CD Students read the menu VI students assist with the orders

27. VI STUDENTS HELP FIGURE THE CHECK

28. EVERYONE WANTS TO MEET THE MOUSE!

29. Disney World is an amazing place to incorporate a lifetime worth of skills, independence and mobility training in just a few days. But even if you can’t make it to Florida, hopefully, this will help spark some ideas on how to incorporate skills between groups of students with multiple disabilities, in a unique setting.

30. However, the real magic is being able to see how individuals with such different disabilities can work together, teach each other, and…

31. Maintain friendships that have lasted long after the fireworks have burned out.

32. LONG TERM BENEFITS FOR THE VI STUDENTS Build self-esteem by being a positive role model & mentor, and helping someone else with a disability Assist with the Special Olympics team during practices and travel with them for state meets. Organizing a tournament at their college and sharing their dorm rooms Secure college jobs as RA’s in their dorms as a result of the training and experience they received on the Disney trips. Employed at Café Arrowhead, & Lake Country Artisans the CD student’s businesses Participation in the Lobster Boil fundraising activity Travel independently both nationally & internationally “It’s a small world after all!”

33. Presenters After the first trip with my 9 th grade VI student, I asked her what she thought about being with the CD students; “I always knew the stereotypes about people with visual impairments, but I had no idea how people with cognitive disabilities were treated – this really made me see things from a different side.” 10 years later she is a Special Education teacher at Arrowhead High School and was a chaperone on this year’s trip. Lynn Goeden-Hough My thanks to John Hough and the Arrowhead CD Program / Students and Arrowhead Special Olympics Team without whom none of this would have been possible!