Designing Inclusive Physical Education with Universal Design for Learning

Abstract

As a society the growth in working with students with disabilities in schools has improved immensely, although there is a long way to go. Inclusion, integration and mainstreaming have continued to be hot topics in education in regard to students with disabilities. The purpose of this article is to discuss simple ways to ensure that your class is truly an inclusive environment for all students from the start of class. The strategies to be discussed are universal design for learning, instructional supports, incorporating student choice, and using multiple media for instruction (e.g., video, verbal, kinesthetic and photos). The importance of using these strategies in a successful inclusion class is that they can result in increased health-related fitness, physical activity, and sport-specific skills for students with and without disabilities.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Emily N. Gilbert

Emily N. Gilbert ([email protected]) is a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Physical Education at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC.