Persuasive Essay On Outdoor Education

879 Words2 Pages

Outdoor education can be used as an alternative teaching method so that people who have trouble learning from conventional teaching formats have a chance to understand their curriculum. However, outdoor education itself can be segregating towards certain individual’s as well. Specifically, towards those who experience difficulties due to mental and physical challenges. In current outdoor education classes, we should be taught how to adapt our activities so that the disabled have the option to participate in the outdoor lifestyle. In order to do so, students must first understand what it feels like to be in their position, discover and discuss techniques that can be used to support inclusivity, and finally to practice what they have studied …show more content…

In order for someone leading said activity to partially understand the participant’s perspective of being out casted, they themselves should experience a situation where they are heavily challenged. However, it is important that it this simulation is performed in a way where feelings of pity for disabled people, or relief for one not having a disability arise. Also, that it is understood that simulations do not perfectly represent the life of someone who is disabled. Outdoor education students could participate in activities such as wheelchair basketball, or sledge hockey games in order for them to catch a glimpse of the physically challenged side. As for a mental disability situation, it is somewhat harder to simulate without being completely insensitive to that community. For this, online videos and “TED talks” given by someone in that situation is the best teaching method. The students in outdoor education classes need to understand that “for these kids, time spent in natural settings can offer relief from their symptoms and an environment that helps them to think differently as they begin to craft new strategies for managing their disabilities.”(Ambrosini, 2014) Outdoor education, for the disabled community, can be seen as a new way to be accepted and be considered …show more content…

However, it was not until the twentieth century where techniques were develop to include those who have both mental and physical disabilities. Throughout the early twentieth century, these people were able to participate in outdoor activities, though, they were segregated completely from those with able-bodies. “The past five decades have seen an appreciable increase of interest in adapted sports for disabled people not only in people with disability but also in the medical profession, sporting organisations, and the government.” (Price, 2010) Today, we have many more techniques that can be used to not only allow the disabled from completing outdoor activities, but these strategies enable them to perform modified activities with the general population. People who are physically disabled will need the activity changed quite a bit before they are able to join. For example, if you planned on hiking along a trail, more time would have to be allotted, the route may need to be shortened or possibly re-routed in order for that person to participate. For most cases involving a physically disabled person, special equipment may need to be provided. Such as: an athletically designed wheel chair or leg braces with a wider range of motion. Students in outdoor education classes can be assigned theoretical scenarios, given specific participant descriptions, as well as a predetermined fake outdoor activity, and have to come up

Open Document