Lesson Plans for Every Classroom
Unseen Challenges: Raising Awareness of Invisible Disabilities
People with invisible disabilities face specific challenges that are often overlooked when analyzing the bias that people with disabilities experience. They may encounter misunderstanding, judgment and stigma. They may not be believed or feel they have to justify their disability. They also may not get the proper diagnosis of their condition or the accommodations they need. This lesson provides an opportunity for students to learn more about invisible disabilities, reflect on the bias and other challenges people face and analyze school-based scenarios that involve students with invisible disabilities.
Supporting People with Disabilities
Every day in schools and classrooms, children with disabilities are excluded, teased, bullied and are targets of prejudice. Children with disabilities are two to three times more likely to be bullied than their peers who do not have a disability. When exclusion, teasing or bullying happens, other children may want to help, but they are not sure how or may be afraid to do so. This lesson provides an opportunity for students to learn about people with disabilities, the exclusion and prejudice they face and how to act as an ally when they see harmful language and behavior.