Viewing Assignment 8: Tips for Movement, Hearing & Vision Differences

Watch the videos and read through the tips on movement, hearing, and vision from With Ministries' webpage “Adapting to The Needs of Your Group” for the Together curriculum.

Movement: 

1. Find out more about the individual and how you can best provide tools to fit that person’s movement needs (understand the body parts that work well and those that have limited movement; learn about the equipment, tools, or procedures the individual is already using, such as a wheelchair, special chair, or braces for arms and legs; know the protocol for assisting someone who is having a seizure; and so on). Remember that movement differences do not indicate the way the person takes information in. An individual may be a fluent reader, have a typical or high IQ, and also have voluntary control of eye movements only. It’s important to gather this information before identifying solutions.
2. Make sure your meeting space is accessible and allows for the individual to participate in all activities. Have you done an accessibility audit of your facility? There is a good one supplied at crcna.org/disability. Consider looking through your facility together with this individual as you assess which areas will work well and which areas may cause concern.
3. If an activity requires a motor response that is challenging for this person, consider using a discussion partner to complete the portion of the activity that is difficult while allowing the individual to participate as fully as possible.
4. Make sure the bathrooms and drinking fountains in your meeting space can accommodate the needs of each individual present.
5. Make activity substitutions as needed. If the activity asks a person to walk, change the response to pointing or telling.
6. Watch your own wording. If you say, “Everyone please stand,” you have eliminated some people from following these instructions. If you say, “Everyone please rise in body or in spirit,” each person can participate.
7. Some individuals have emergency plans. It’s important for at least one person in attendance to know that plan. Having it written down and accessible to the group is helpful should an emergency happen during your time together.

Hearing: 

1. Find out more about the individual and how you can best present information to fit that person’s hearing needs (sign language interpreter, wearing a microphone that is wired in to the individual’s hearing aid, closed captioning, meeting in a room with a hearing loop, and so on). Remember that hearing differences can range from people being completely without hearing to having partial hearing loss in one or both ears. It’s important to gather this information before identifying solutions.
2. Seating and positioning are important. Provide a seat where the individual can see the face and lips of the primary speaker. If one ear is more impacted than the other, make sure the ear with more hearing is toward the speaker.
3. Technology can be very helpful. Connecting the group presentation to the individual’s iPad, tablet, or other personal device allows the individual to enable the accessibility features on the device.
4. If the individual is a reader, remember to pair written words with spoken words as much as possible.
5. Some individuals with hearing aids struggle with background noise. Keeping the group noise level down or providing a quiet place to talk with a discussion partner can be helpful. Also, remind group members to speak clearly, keeping fingers and other objects away from their mouths when speaking.
6. Remember that hearing is only one way to access information. Seeing, tasting, smelling, and touching are also helpful ways for people to participate.

Vision: 

1. Be aware that moving furniture or standard items in the room can cause difficulties for people with visual differences. Make sure the individual is aware that some items have been moved, and offer a guided tour around the room for that person’s benefit.
2. Technology can be very helpful. Connecting the group presentation to the individual’s iPad, tablet, or other personal device allows the individual to change the image size or background color and to enable the accessibility features on the device.
3. YouVersion is a free app that features many great choices for Bible readers with visual differences. For example, on web-enabled devices an icon allows the individual to access an audio version of Scripture passages.
4. Providing written or presentation materials electronically and in advance allows people with a Braille printer or screen reader to run off the material prior to the meeting. Some individuals enjoy making their own large-print or color, contrast copies in advance.
5. Remember that vision is only one way to take in information. Hearing, tasting, smelling, and touching are also helpful ways for people to participate.