Student Disability Services
Mobility & Dexterity Impairments
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Mobility impairments range in severity from limitations on stamina to paralysis. Some mobility impairments are caused by conditions present at birth while others are the result of illness or physical injury. Quadriplegia, paralysis of the extremities and trunk, is caused by a neck injury. Students with quadriplegia have limited or no use of their arms and hands and often use motorized wheelchairs. Paraplegia, paralysis of the lower extremities and the lower trunk, is caused by an injury to the mid-back. Students often use a manual wheelchair and have full movement of arms and hands.

Other causes of mobility impairments may include amputation, arthritis, back disorders, Cerebral Palsy, and neuromuscular disorders.

Some Considerations
A physical disability is often separate from other matters of cognition and general health; it does not imply that a student has other health problems or difficulty with intellectual functioning. Dependency and helplessness are usually not characteristics of physical disabilities.

It might take a student with a mobility impairment extra time to speak or act. Allow the student to set the pace while walking or talking.

A wheelchair is a personal assistance device rather than something one is "confined to." It is also a part of a student's personal space; do not lean on or touch the chair, and do not push the chair unless asked.

Physical access to a class is the first barrier a student with a mobility impairment may face. An unshoveled sidewalk, new construction along a route, or mechanical problems with a wheelchair can easily cause the student to be late.

Common accommodations for students with mobility impairments include priority registration, note-takers, accessible classroom/location/furniture, alternative ways of completing assignments, lab or library assistants, assistive computer technology, exam modifications, and conveniently located parking.

Instructional Strategies
The following strategies are suggested to enhance the accessibility of course instruction, materials, and activities. They are general strategies designed to support individualized, reasonable accommodations.

  • Include a Disability Access Statement on the syllabus (see Working with Students with Disabilities).
  • If necessary, arrange for a room change before the term begins (Student Disability Services will assist).
  • If possible, try not to seat wheelchair users in the back row. Move a desk or rearrange seating at a table so the student is part of the regular classroom seating.
  • Make sure accommodations are in place for in-class written work (e.g., allow the student to use a scribe, to use assistive computer technology, or to complete the assignments outside of class).
  • Allow the student the same anonymity as other students; avoid pointing out the student or the alternative arrangements to the rest of the class.