Making Art Accessible for

Students with Physical,

Visual, Severe and
Multiple Disabilities

Elizabeth Stephanie Cramer, Ed.D.

Mari Beth Coleman, Ph.D.
University of Tennessee
 Importance of Art
for Students with
Significant Disabilities

• In the opening talk yesterday morning,

Ron Jones discussed how the teaching of
art helped him to move past the “selfish”
ideas of his youth
• Dr. Jones encouraged us to “make others
become and realize themselves through
the wonderful world of art.”
• Do you feel you provide this realization to
all of your students?
 What Makes an Individual Well Rounded?

• Just passed in the Senate is an amendment that

states that the arts are essential to a well-
rounded person and healthy future
• Providing opportunities where all of our students
participate is paramount to assisting our
students to become more well-rounded
• Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) requires that
the abilities and needs of all students are
considered in a continuum of learning settings:
Classroom, co-taught classroom and special
education teacher, and special education teacher
 Carrie Mae Weems

• “I didn’t know how to deal with the

essence of me.”
• When thinking how selfish your students
awareness seems to be, instead “speak
to them as they are you.”
• Ms. Weems challenged us in her talk
yesterday to think about ways to forge
art and social engagement: art and
community practice and art and social
dialogue
 Art
• Built into our classrooms are ways our
students can participate in a community of
diverse learners
• The art classroom is a conduit to experiencing
life long learning in ways that are creative and
encourage problem finding and solving
• If this is our task as art teachers, then how do
we provide this for all of our learners?
• One way is through educating ourselves to
learn how to provide and model best practices
of accommodating and improving accessibility
to learning and participating in the world of art
 Art Teacher Survey

• Many of you participated in a survey on

accommodating and providing
accessibility to students with physical,
visual, severe and multiple disabilities
• 88 art teachers responded to the
survey
– Mean years teaching 13.31
– Most (56%) teach 1-10 students with
physical, visual, severe, or multiple
disabilities per year
 Results: Preparedness

• Ratings of knowledge and skills for

teaching art to students without
disabilities ranged from somewhat
extensive to extensive
• Ratings of knowledge and skills for
assessing and teaching art to students
with physical, visual, severe or multiple
disabilities fell between somewhat
minimal to medium
 Types of Assessment Adaptations

• For students with physical, visual,

severe, and multiple disabilities:
– 73.8% assess based on participation
– 67.5% assess based on effort
– 57.5% assess with modified rubrics
– <20% assess with unmodified rubrics, or
unmodified quizzes or worksheets
 Results: Types of Instructional Adaptations

• 87.5% provide peer or adult assistance with

materials management
• 62.5% provide extended time to complete
projects
• 57.5% provide peer or adult hand-over-hand
or hand-under-hand assistance
• <50% use:
– Special equipment
– Modified materials
– Projects partially completed by someone else
 Results: Technology Solutions

• Only 52.6% reported having limited

knowledge about assistive technology
but….
– No technology solutions were reported as
being used more than sometimes
– Adaptive scissors, large-handled
implements, and larger-sized materials
were used rarely to sometimes
– All others were used between never or
rarely.
 Terminology

• Types of Disabilities We Will Discuss

– Vision Impairment
• Low vision
• Legal blindness
– Complex Communication Needs
– Physical Disabilities
– Intellectual Disabilities
– Multiple Disabilities
• Adaptations (Accommodations,
Modifications, & Assistive Technology)
 Adaptations

• Accommodations
– Adaptations that do not result in changes to the
number or level of standards achieved
– Most students with mild disabilities will only receive
accommodations
– Students with visual or physical disabilities may need
significant accommodations to meet all standards
• Modifications
– Expectations for standards achievement altered
– Generally for students with moderate to profound
intellectual disabilities
• Assistive Technology
 AT

• Assistive technology is defined in the

Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act as, “…any item, piece of
equipment, or product system, whether
acquired commercially off the shelf,
modified, or customized, that is used to
increase, maintain, or improve the
functional capabilities of a child with a
disability.”
 Levels of AT

• No Tech – accommodations or
modifications
• Low Tech
• Middle Tech
• High Tech
 Basics of Working with Students
who have Disabilities
• People First Language & Disability
Etiquette
– Disabilityisnatural.com
– Language places person first (e.g., “a child
with a disability” instead of “a disabled
child”).
• Understand differences in background
knowledge and concept development
• Partial Participation
 Materials to Explore

• Please feel free to explore the materials in

the baggies. There are a number of tools
that can easily provide alternative ways for
your students with disabilities to participate
in your classroom
• At the end of this session, please put
everything back in the baggie and return it
to us
• Thank you
 Scenario
• Mari Beth is a 4th grade student with no
vision (this is somewhat uncommon –
most students with visual impairments
have at least some light and color
perception).

• Stephanie is the art teacher. She will

provide background knowledge and
tactile experiences.
 Vision Loss:
Levels of Participation

• Independent
• Independent with materials assistance
• Independent with alternate materials
• Partial assistance - partially prepared
materials such as cutting with scissors
• Partial physical assistance (HUH)
• Alternate mode (e.g., express through clay
instead of paint)
Strategies for Students with Visual Losses
 Vision Adaptations

• Students with low vision

– Contrast
– Color (e.g., black text on yellow background)
– Brighter colors (fluorescent colors work well for
some).
– Light box
– Enlarged text or graphics
• Copier
• Magnifiers
• CCTV
• Computerized (backlight helps) with or without
magnifier (located in control panel)
 Vision Adaptations

• For students with more severe visual

losses
– Auditory access to text: CD, MP3, text-to-
speech software such as ReadPlease Free
(PC) or Natural Reader (Mac).
– Tactile rather than visual materials
– Different medium to use other senses (e.g.,
represent art elements in clay rather than
paint)
 Scenario
• Mari Beth is a student with limited
communication skills. She uses a
computerized augmentative
communication system.

• Stephanie is the art teacher. She is

using strategies that are beneficial to
students who use alternate forms of
communication (communication device,
prewarning, extra time)
 Communication Impairments: Levels of
Participation

• Student communicates verbally

• Student communicates every message with
communication device
• Student communicates most thoughts
independently via communication device
• Student makes most choices via pointing,
gesturing, or using a communication device
• Student participates in only some choice-
making by gesturing, pointing, or using a
communication device
 Strategies for Students with
Communication Impairments
 Communication Strategies

• WAIT!
• Build in opportunities to communicate
• Have boards with specific vocabulary
available and ask the special education staff
to train the student how to use them
 AT: Communication Devices

• Low tech
– Created with specific software or images pasted into
a word processing document
– Different boards with vocabulary for each primary
form of art: painting, clay, drawing, sculpture,
printmaking, photography, collage, fiber, etc.
– Number of items should be consistent with student’s
cognitive, physical, and visual abilities

• Middle tech
– One message – program something that can be used
frequently (I want more paint)
–
 Low Tech: Created with Boardmaker Software

• General Art Page

 Low Tech: Images in
Word Table

• Simple page for painting activity

 Low Tech: Boardmaker

• Interactive phrases
 Mid Tech Devices

• One message – something that can be

repeated to provide more interactive
experience (e.g., “I need more”)
• Multiple messages: Help special
educator decide vocabulary / phrases
 AT: High Tech
Communication Devices

• Help the special educator design

boards for each type of activity
• Make sure there are items that allow
the student to get needs met in class
(e.g., requesting materials) and have
social interactions (e.g., questioning,
commenting)
 High Tech: Computerized
Communication Board for Painting
Activity
 Scenario
• Stephanie is a student with a high level
spinal cord injury. She has no
movement from her neck down and
limited movement of her neck/head.

• Mari Beth is the art teacher and is using

partial participation (verbal direction &
physical assistance) along with assistive
technology (adaptive paintbrush,
elevated surface, outline)
 Physical Disabilities:
Levels of Participation

**Physical disability does not mean intellectual

disability – regardless of severity or inability to
speak**
• Independent with accommodations such as more
time and adapted tools
• Assistance with materials
• Verbally directing others to assist
• Partial physical assistance (hand-under-hand or
partial completion)
• Full physical assistance
• Alternative activities (if they provide a more
meaningful experience through art)
 Strategies for Students with Physical
Disabilities

• Nonslip material
• Slantboards!
• Positioning equipment (even rolled up towels
can make a big difference in ability to access
and use materials)
Strategies, cont.
 Physical Adaptations

• Adapted implements
– Shorter
– Large handles
– Rounded
• Adaptive scissors / cutting
– Spring open
– Double loop
– Platform
– Pre-cut materials
 Physical Adaptations, cont.

• Clay alternatives
– Use of tools instead of hands
– Creating parts and directing others to put together
• Painting/drawing alternatives (only if more
meaningful)
– Use of pictures from other sources as part of
product (e.g., magazines, internet)
– Stamps instead of writing or drawing
– Battery-operated (switch adapted if needed)
scribbling or painting devices
– Computerized drawing or painting software (e.g.,
TuxPaint).
Tux Paint
 Scenario to Envision
Tamika is a 3rd grade student with multiple
disabilities including a severe intellectual
disability, physical disability, and limited
communication abilities. Tamika attends art
class with a paraprofessional. She cannot
hold writing or painting implements nor
control her own wheelchair. She has no
verbal speech, but can nod her head for “yes”
and “no.” In her special education classroom,
she is working on cause/effect and
independent control over her environment.
 Moderate to Profound Intellectual Disabilities:
Levels of Participation

• Foster independence in any way

possible through adaptations previously
discussed.
• Modifications (alterations to number
and/or level of standards achieved – but
still standards-based!)
 Strategies for Students with
Intellectual Disabilities
• Modifications: Students with ID

– Instruction
• Mountain peaks
Most Students

Students with Gifts/Talents

• Students with severe/profound ID: Consider the addition

of alternate activities (e.g., switch painting program)
– Decision point: What is more meaningful - an art project
completed by a paraprofessional or the student learning a
concept through art (e.g., communication skill such as “more” or
cause & effect)?
 Students with MoID/SID/PID
• Example of modified objectives and assessment

• Elementary school student with MOID

– Derrick will demonstrate an understanding of one of the art
elements by pointing to examples when asked 4/5 opportunities.

• High school student with SID

– Juanita will actively view examples of impressionism by clicking a
switch to activate a PowerPoint presentation containing the art of
famous impressionists at least 5 independent clicks in a given
session 4/5 sessions.

• Assessment
– Data collection, including writing and filming
– Modified rubrics – student is accountable for partial acquisition
of standards or rubric indicates amount of participation required.
Example of Cause & Effect PowerPoint Presentations for Art History for a
Student with a Severe Intellectual Disability

• Student hits a switch to advance slides.

• Teaches causality and provides control over
environment
• One way to address teaching standards
• Used in addition to other art activities
Impressionism: Claude Monet

• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Claude_Monet_1899_Nadar_crop.jpg/200px-Claude_Monet_1899
_Nadar_crop.jpg
Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge
(1897-1899)
http://www.visitingdc.com/images/claude-monet-picture.jpg
 Water Lilies 1914-1917
http://www.artcyclopedia.org/art/claude-monet-lilies.jpg
 Garden at Argenteuil. 1873.
http://www.famous-paintings.org/Claude-Monet/68.jpg
 Example of a PowerPoint that could be used with students who
have moderate to severe intellectual disabilities

• Provides extra practice on fewer standards

• Used in addition to other art activities
 Elements of Art

• Line

• Shape

• Color
LINES
A line is the path of a point moving through
space.

Let’s look at some lines

Straight lines
Wavy lines
 Working with Paraprofessionals

• Training & rationale!

• Concept of process over product may
need to be explained
• Provide the paraprofessional with a list
of task steps with levels of partial
participation specified
 Task Analysis
 
Task Analysis Steps:
Level of Participation Expected:
1. Select materials Verbal direction
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Any Questions?
 Resources
• Coleman, M. B. (in press). Successful implementation of assistive technology to promote access
to curriculum and instruction for students with physical disabilities. Physical Disabilities: Education and
Related Services.
• Coleman, M. B., Cramer, E. S., & Bell, S. M. (in preparation). Art educators’ knowledge,
attitudes, and experiences working with students who have physical, visual, severe, and multiple disabilities.
• Coleman, M. B., & Heller, K. W. (2009). Assistive technology considerations. In K. W. Heller,
P. E. Forney, P. A. Alberto, S. J. Best & M. N. Swartzman (Eds.), Understanding Physical, Health, and Multiple
Disabilities (2nd ed., pp. 139-153). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.
• Gerber, B. L. & Guay, D. M. (Eds.). (2006, 2007). Reaching and teaching students with
special needs. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
• Gerber, B. L. & Kellman, J. (2010). Understanding students with autism through art.
Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
• Guay, B. L. (2003). Paraeducators in art classrooms, issues of culture, leadership,
and special needs. Studies in Art Education, 45(1), 20-39.
• Nyman, A. L. & Jenkins, A. M. (Eds.). (1999). Issues and approaches to art for students
with special needs. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
• Vize, A. (2005). Making art activities work for students with special needs. Arts and
Activities, 138(4), 17, 41.
• Zederayko, M. W. & Ward, K. (1999). What to do when students can’t hold a pencil.
Art Education, 52(4), 18-22.