Supporting students with mobility impairments
By Karin Vogt, University of Education Heidelberg, Germany
Introduction
Physical and motor impairments represent one of the most diverse categories of learning needs you’ll encounter in your EFL classroom. From a student who uses a wheelchair to a learner with cerebral palsy affecting fine motor control, from temporary mobility limitations due to injury to chronic conditions that affect energy levels—each learner’s experience is unique, and their strengths and needs vary considerably.
Yet one thing remains constant: language learning should be accessible to all learners, regardless of their physical abilities. When we design our teaching with mobility considerations from the start—rather than retrofitting activities after the fact—we create learning environments where every student can participate meaningfully in communication and interaction.
- You will be able to explain the needs of learners with mobility impairments in the foreign language classroom.
- You will be able to discuss challenges these learners face in an educational environment and the specific capacities they can mobilise for language learning.
- You will be able to identify instructional strategies that respond to the needs of learners with mobility impairments in the EFL classroom.
- You will be able to apply key principles of an inclusive language learning environment for learners with mobility impairments to your own teaching context.
Engaging with the video:
Please answer the following questions on the video.
- Why is it difficult to try to „categorise“ physical and motor impairments?
- How can language teachers respond to the needs that language learners with physical and motor impairments might have (e.g., limited energy, brief attention span, socio-emotional barriers)?
- What instructional strategies and principles create a space which helps learners enjoy language learning? How can (assistive) technology help with this?
- Universal Design for Learning is an educational framework that encourages teachers to offer multiple ways of presenting information, engaging learners, and allowing them to express what they know. Its goal is to make learning accessible and meaningful for all students by planning for learner diversity from the start. In what ways might UDL support the participation of learners with physical and motor impairments in communication and interaction in the foreign language?
Teaching in action:
- Two different English as a Foreign Language class use the first five minutes of each English lesson for a communication routine.
Members of the first class ask each other routine questions that are about themselves and their families or friends. They can be used for small talk or when learners introduce themselves. They include questions like „What’s your name?“, „Do you have pets?“, „What are your hobbies“? etc., depending on their level of English.
Members of the second class take turns standing in front of the class. One learner acts as a teacher and asks the other learners about today’s date, the weather, today’s timetable and other current events relevant on that day.
In what ways could these routines be beneficial to learners‘ competence development and their present and future participation in communication and interaction in the target language?
- The following activity makes use of playful language learning combined with assistive technology. It is an example of a playful, low-barrier language-learning activity tailored for learners with physical and motor impairments. The language activity does not rely on fine motor skills or fast physical responses. It is therefore suitable for all learners, learners with motor and physical issues included.
After reading the description of the activity, please identify communicative language objectives and non-linguistic objectives the activity, in particular for language learners with physical and motor impairments. Also, please indicate how the the activity removes physical barriers, how learners can participate using alternative communication methods and how the instructional design avoids fatigue or frustration.
Voice-activated story builder
Step 1: The teacher prepares a set of audio prompts (or uses text-to-speech):
- Characters (“a friendly robot”, “a lost cat”)
- Settings (“in a quiet forest”, “on a space station”)
- Actions (“is looking for…”, “needs help to…”)
Step 2: Learners take turns choosing prompts verbally (no writing), using speech, eye-tracking selection, switch-based communication devices or AAC systems
Step 3: In groups, learners build a playful, often silly story, using the prompts.
Step 4: They share their story with another group.
Step 5: Additional: The teacher gives feedback on the story, expands learners‘ contributions and models correct language use.
(Possible solution: linguistic objectives like sentence formation, discourse skills, turn-taking, genre knowledge; non-linguistic objectives: participation in interaction, participation in group work, encourages creativity and motivation / positive emotional outcomes such as building community and shared enjoyment)
Do you have learners with motor and physical impairments in your class? How do you cater for their needs?
Which of the suggestions from the video might help accommodate their needs better? What instructional decisions would you take up for your own teaching?
Vogt, K., Lepelt, L., Karatsiori, M., Domagała-Zyśk, E., Poredoš,. M., & Košak Babuder, M., with contributions by Bezenšek, A., Bider Petelin, I., Dirhalidis, M., Gipali, M., Grzeszczyk, K., Holuk, W., Jajko, W., König, K., Kowalska, G., Kusak, N., Lemut Bajec, M., Lenart, E., Leonhardt, U., Liontou, T., Miałkowska, R., Olszak, I., Pižorn, K., Polte, L., Rupprecht, H., Sperling, I., Vodopivec, A., & Wargala, A.K. (2025). Teachers’ handbook: Activities and resources for students with Diverse Learning Needs in English as a Foreign Language.
https://splendid.uom.gr (chapter 3)