We Want to Play Too! Adapted Game Controller and Switches
Help me give my students with physical disabilities an adaptive game controller and switches so that they can participate in age-appropriate play and develop lifelong leisure options.
I work with two very different--and wonderful--sets of students. One of these is in a neighborhood elementary school with students ranging from preschool through sixth grade. The other is our district's 18-21 Transition Program, which supports young adults with severe disabilities who need extra time and support to learn essential life skills and basic work skills. Each of my students is bright, inquisitive, motivated, and eager to learn about the world we live in--but they face some challenges.
Many of my students have identified delays in fine motor, visual motor, or sensory processing skills that make it difficult for them to access and get the best out of their education.
Often, students in these high-poverty schools live in apartments where it is not safe for them to play outside, and families have limited resources for enrichment at home. Some are working to overcome a history of personal trauma or are dealing with difficult family situations.
My Project
Some of my "Super Seniors" have very severe physical disabilities and are dependent on others for almost every aspect of their daily life. One student has a spinal cord injury that prevents him from using any part of his body below his neck. Others have Cerebral Palsy. It is very difficult for my students to stand, walk, prepare an after-school snack, play video games, or participate in many of the other social activities that most young adults their age do without even thinking about it.
Having a physical disability should not condemn anyone to a life of isolation.
Part of our role in the transition program is to assist students in developing social and leisure options that they can carry on into adulthood. For our students with severe physical disabilities, this is especially vital. We need to give them options that will allow them to communicate with and socialize with other young adults.
I am asking for your help to purchase a switch-adapted Xbox controller and switches that our students with severe physical disabilities can use to access video games. With this adapted controller and switches, we will be able to customize game access to each student's specific need and share that information with other funding sources to purchase the control and switches that work best for each student. Most importantly, we will be able to offer our students the opportunity to hang out with peers, whether virtually or in real life, and meet challenges in a way that their bodies don't usually allow.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Andrews and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.