Architectural factors must be considered. Section 50 of the Rehabilitation act of 1973 requires that programs
receiving Federal funds make their programs accessible. This could mean structural changes (for example, adding
elevators or ramps) or schedule or location changes (for example, offering a course on the ground floor).
Sometimes the nature of the child’s disability requires changes in school equipment or curriculum. In the same
way a student’s placement should be the least restrictive one appropriate for him or her, the day-to-day school
pattern also should be as “normal” as possible.
Physical disabilities can have profound effects on children’s emotional and social development. To promote
growth, parents and teachers should avoid overprotection and encourage children to take risks within limits of
safety and health. Teachers and classmates should also understand that, although children with physical
disabilities and health impairments may be physically disabled, they are more like their classmates than different
from them.
Technology holds great promise for making the life of a child with a disability more “normal.” Computerized
devices, for example, can help nonvocal, severely physically involved children communicate, perhaps for the first
time.
Students who require recurring or long term hospital care for their condition may need special services such as
tutoring or homebound instruction to keep up with their class. Depending upon the nature of and severity of the
condition, counseling for the entire family may be helpful.