International Day of Persons with Disabilities

 

What challenges do people with disabilities face?

How can society help them?

Impairment – a condition where part of your body or mind does not work fully 

 Accessible / Accessibility – easy for everyone to use or enter 

 Breakthrough – an important discovery or achievement 

 Advocate (n./v.) – a person who supports or speaks for others 

 Determination – the ability to keep trying despite difficulties 

 Tactile – related to touch 

 Comprehend – to understand something deeply

Reading Comprehension 

Task 1: True/False

1. Helen Keller was born blind and deaf.

2. Anne Sullivan taught Helen using a tactile method.

3. Braille is a system based on sound.

4. Helen Keller worked to support people with disabilities.

Task 2: Open Questions 

1. Why was Anne Sullivan’s arrival a breakthrough?

2. How did Braille change Helen Keller’s life?

3. What message does Helen Keller’s life send about determination?

Speaking / Discussion 

Groups of 4. Each group 1–2 questions:

1. What is the biggest challenge for people with visual or hearing impairments today?

2. How can schools become more accessible for students with disabilities?

3. Do you think technology will replace Braille in the future? Why or why not?

4. If you lost one of your senses for a day, how would you adapt?

Optional extension: Groups propose one new invention or school policy that would help people with disabilities.