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Wheelchairs Do Not Have to Be an Obstacle!
by Cynthia Wetmiller

The PSLA has been fortunate to work with some of the most creative teachers in Pennsylvania. Special education professionals have implemented service-learning projects that are amazingly creative in terms of motivating students with disabilities to participate in community service activities. One lesson I've learned from working with special education teachers is that a disability should not be an obstacle that keeps a student from becoming involved in a classroom service-learning project.

Students confined to a wheelchair are capable of doing more than most people think they can, but there are still many disabled students who are overlooked and do not participate in school service-learning projects. Don't let that happen in your classroom! Whether you have one student in a wheelchair or twelve, get them involved!

Here are some service-learning project ideas that are ideal for wheelchair populations:

Early Childhood Literacy Project (English/Reading/Technology)
Reading to a child, as well as working on reading and writing skills, is always a great way to link a middle school or high school Reading/English curriculum with meeting the community need of early childhood literacy. There are many things that students can do to educate the community about the importance of reading to children on a daily basis. Last year, as a part of the PSLA Special Education Mini-Grant Program, students at Craig Academy in Pittsburgh launched the "Born to Read" project. This project involved students creating early childhood awareness packets for new mothers in the maternity ward at a local hospital. In addition to providing new mothers with a book to read to their new babies, students compiled information about early childhood literacy and tips for promoting reading in an effort to familiarize new parents with the early childhood literacy programs in Pittsburgh. Since this project also involved the students in the use of computer skills, it also served as a service-learning project for the students' technology classes.

Home Improvement Project (VoTech/Life Skills/Transition/Various IEP Goals)
Organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together have been working to assist low income families by building and repairing shelters for those who cannot afford to purchase a home. At first glance, one might think that home improvement projects would be out of the question for students who are confined to a wheelchair. Not the case! Any of these home improvement projects can be done from a wheelchair:

1. Painting: Not all painting has to be done on a ladder or standing up. There is a lot of trim work involved in painting and even if students can't reach all the places that need to be painted, they can certainly paint what they are able to reach from their wheelchair. Also, some moldings can be prepainted on a table before being nailed to the ceiling, chair rail or base boards. Have students partner up and work together so that some students paint the higher areas and others paint the lower areas.
2. Wallpapering: There is more to hanging wall paper then climbing a ladder and adhering the paper to the wall. Often wallpapering is a two-person job, with one person on the ladder hanging the paper and the other person painting the adhesive on the back of the paper or soaking the paper in water. The latter task can be done from a wheelchair, especially if there are a few helping hands to provide assistance.
3. Spackling: Filling holes with spackling can be done at lower levels in a room by wheelchair-bound students. Again, pair students with disabilities up with fellow students so that they can spackle the whole wall together.
4. Sanding: Sanding surfaces prior to painting them is an important task. Surfaces at lower levels, such as window sills, trim and parts of walls can be sanded from a wheelchair.

Environmental Project (Science/Technology/Transition/Various IEP Goals)
There is more to helping the environment than physically picking up litter, blazing a trail or testing water, etc. There are many tasks that can be completed in the classroom that greatly assist local environmental agencies. These activities involve educating the community about a variety of environmental issues, such as lead poisoning, water contamination, recycling and pollution, and promoting a general sense of awareness about environmental issues. Consider partnering your students with a local environmental agency and challenge your students to do any of the following projects:

1. Brochures: Students can design brochures to help advertise the agency's need for volunteers, supplies and funding, or to simply educate people about an environmental issue.
2. Websites: Students can build a website for a local environmental agency that currently does not have a presence on the web.
3. Tabling: Many organizations need help passing out information when they set up a booth or table at a community event.