Physical Impairment

Mobility may be impaired by a number of conditions some of which are permanent, others of a temporary or intermittent nature. These conditions include cerebral palsy, arthritis, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease and repetitive strain injury (RSI). Back or neck injuries may also affect general mobility. A stroke may result in temporary or permanent loss of feeling or movement of part of the body, frequently on one side. The impact of these conditions on learning will also vary.

• Coordination and balance may be mildly or severely affected by any of these conditions. Movement may be impaired by muscle spasms, numbness or pain. As a consequence both manipulation of equipment and writing may be difficult.
• Some students may be wheelchair users. Others will walk with the aid of callipers, crutches or a walking stick. Some students may suffer chronic fatigue as a result of mobility difficulties and, for others, there will be extreme fluctuations of energy from day to day.
• Speech and vision may also be affected in students with cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis for example, and in those who have suffered a stroke.
• Mobility disability may also result from head injury (ABI – acquired brain injury). Increasing numbers of students are returning to university following vehicle or sporting accidents in which they have sustained some degree of brain injury. Resulting impairment may affect speech, vision, coordination, and the injury may also be responsible for personality disorders or depression.
• Depression is also often associated with degenerative conditions such as multiple sclerosis. When speech is affected there may be difficulty communicating with and relating to others.
• Some cardiac and respiratory diseases may also affect general mobility. Staff need to remember that some of these conditions are characterised by periods of remission so the disability will not always be visible, and will not always impact on the student’s ability to function in the university environment.

Teaching and Assessment Strategies

• Communicating with students with physical impairments
• Teaching Strategies for a group that includes students with physical impairments
• Assessment Strategies for assessing students with physical impairments
• Student Case Studies.

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Adapted from a publication in the UniAbility series