1. Talking About Learning Disability

2. Celebrating Diversity
What does that mean?
(how does this fit in with lessons have they had in PSE/RME?)
We’re all different…array of photographs of people with all kinds of disability, ages, ethnicity, genders.
Lots of people that are different in a variety of ways. This makes our society interesting/ good
Discussion: why’s it good to live in inclusive society?
So, we are agreed that today we live in a society that values people, regardless of the ways that they are all different; age, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, disability (including learning disability)
Series of lessons about living with a learning disability.
First we’re going to see what it was like living with a learning disability in the past…

3. Celebrating Diversity
Lesson 1
Celebrating Diversity
Learning Intentions for Lesson 1:
To explore what is meant by the term ‘Living in a Diverse Society’.
To consider what disability means and think about some of the barriers that disabled people face.

4. Activity 1 Think, Pair, Share
You have two minutes to discuss the statement below. Be ready to share your ideas with the teacher and the rest of the class. Think about yourself and others when discussing this statement:
“In some ways we are all the same, in some ways we are all different and unique”

5. Activity 2 Work in Groups of 3/4
Take a pack of matching cards containing 10 photographs and 10 descriptions. Match the photographs with the descriptions.
Write down one fact about each person and share it with the rest of the group.
Explain to the rest of the group why you found it difficult or easy to match the cards.
What surprised you about these people and what kind of attitudes do you think they are promoting?
Which of the sort cards do you think were related to disability?
MATCHED CARDS

6. English Rapper, Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu was born on the 7th November 1988 and is better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah. His first album, Disc-Overy, went to number one in the UK charts in October 2010 followed by two British number-one singles.
Tinie is dyslexic, which means that he has some difficulty in reading and interpreting words, but this has not stopped him building a successful career.

7. Matt Stutzman is an armless Archer, who represented Team USA in archery at the 2012 London Paralympic Games. Matt was born without arms, but this did not prevent him in mastering the technique of shooting. He has been practicing archery since the age of 16. He uses his toes to fix the arrow onto the bow and the strength of his legs to shoot it. He taught himself how to use his feet to do everything from eating, driving and shooting a bow.

8. Gareth Thomas is a successful Welsh rugby player who came out as gay about five years ago. Gareth spent many years struggling with his sexuality but is now much happier.
A play is to be written about his remarkable life story that will hopefully inspire many young people who are unsure about their sexuality. Gareth has congratulated Olympic diver Tom Daley on his decision to reveal his sexuality and says that in doing so he is “starting an amazing new life”.

9. Nadiya Hussein was the Great British Bake Off winner in 2015
Nadiya Hussein was the Great British Bake Off winner in The 30-year-old’s victory in the BBC series was the most-watched television show of the year. Nadiya and her husband Abdal and their children Musa, nine, eight-year-old Dawud and Maryam, five, said that she is ready for the next chapter of her life – despite nearly quitting the show before she even made her debut.
“I know life will change completely now and I think we’re all ready for it as a family. For me, I just want to keep baking and cooking. I’d love to do telly and write a book and whatever else comes along.”

10. Tommy Jessop was born in 1985 and is a member of the Blue Apple Theatre Company. The company believes he could be the first person with a learning disability to take on the title role of Hamlet in a professional production of Shakespeare's most famous plays.

11. Cara Readle, born 8 January 1991 is a Welsh actress with cerebral palsy, known mainly for her role as Layla in the Story of Tracy Beaker.
In November 2009 she also had a part in Casualty, playing a patient with cerebral palsy called Serena Wark. Cara recently worked with BBC Ouch! to share her life experiences about her disability.

12. Daniel Pepper is an English Paralympian swimmer
Daniel Pepper is an English Paralympian swimmer. He was born in Stockport in He has been a world champion since he was 14 in Hong Kong, the Czech Republic and Belgium.
Daniel says, “There's quite a big time difference between me and non-disability swimmers. I have a learning disability … It affects me when I'm training: counting lengths, reading the clock, coordination, and understanding exactly what the coach wants me to do”.

13. Eleanor Simmonds, born in 1994 is a British Paralympian swimmer competing in S6 events. She came to national attention when she competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, winning two gold medals for Great Britain, despite being the youngest member of the team, at the age of 13.
In 2012 she was again selected for the Great Britain squad, this time swimming at the home games in London. She won another two golds in London, including setting a World Record in the 400m freestyle.

14. Paris Lees is a British journalist, presenter and transgender rights activist. She was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, brought up as a boy, and self-identified as gay in early adulthood. At the age of 16 she committed a robbery, for which she served eight months in prison when she was 18. While in prison Lees decided to change: "I just thought, 'I'm this silly teenage boy in a prison cell who has made a huge mistake and I want to be this happy person'.” Lees moved to Brighton to study English at university, where she started to identify as female: "In the space of six weeks I went from living in Nottingham as a boy with my grandma to living in Brighton as a girl”.

15. Seven-year-old Holly Greenhow from Cambridgeshire, was born with cerebral palsy. Everything from speaking to sitting up can be a challenge, but Holly has landed a starring role in Boden's new childrenswear campaign.
Holly, whose condition was caused by a prolonged loss of oxygen at birth, was chosen after attending a casting, where she shone in front of the camera. She spent a day in London modelling clothes from the Borden children’s range and now features in the Meet and Greet mini campaign on their website.

16. Some of the people in the card game were disabled so let’s think more about disability:
Disability is still sometimes seen as a physical or sensory impairment, mental health issue or learning disability that
might make it difficult for a person to do things.
… but it is more than this. People are disabled as a result
of lack of facilities, lack of access, information, personal
support and the attitudes of others.

17. Considering disability in this way encourages us to think about the barriers that disabled people face and what we as a society can do to remove these barriers in order that disabled people can participate in society in the same way as everyone else.

18. Activity 3 Think, Pair, Share
a) What barriers and challenges do disabled people face in their
everyday lives and what can society do to remove these barriers in order that disabled people can participate more fully?
b) Read the four short scenarios below and consider:
the barriers each person is facing
how you think the barriers can be lifted so that they
can participate like everyone else

19. Danny, a talented young musician diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome sees an advert in the local newspaper for a session pianist in a night club.
He worries about the interview as he may not come across in a confident manner as he finds new social situations confusing. He has no concerns about his musical abilities but he worries about the interview questions.
Susan has Down’s Syndrome and wishes to live independently in her own home but is unsure how to sign up for social housing. She is also concerned that she may not be able to afford to live independently.
Emma, a wheelchair user with cerebral palsy wants to go to the Sixth Year leavers’ ball, but finds out last minute from her friend that the ball is on the 3rd floor of a night club which has no lift facilities.
Max has a visual impairment but wants to read the latest best-selling book, so that he can chat about it with his sighted friends.

20. We have looked at some of the barriers disabled people face.
Let’s now think about some of our
attitudes to disability.

21. Whole-class discussion
Activity 4
Whole-class discussion
What kind of attitudes do you think people have towards disability?
These words might help you:
Pity
Positive
Sympathetic
Supportive
Inclusive

22. Success Criteria for Lessons 1
I am developing:
understanding that diversity and uniqueness make for an interesting society.
knowledge and understanding about the lives of disabled people, considering the ways we can break down some of the barriers they face in everyday life.