Disability awareness activities for group nights
Introduction
Encouraging inclusion is not just about physical access, but also about the attitudes of group members and leaders. Awareness
raising is the first step along the way to developing inclusive attitudes.
The activities below are just designed to be a bit of fun and to get groups to consider the experiences of people with disabilities
and how Woodcraft Folk could be more inclusive.
As for making other Woodcraft Folk games and activities accessible, it takes a little thought, some planning and often just
talking about the issues within your group.
Silent Chinese Whispers
What to do
Discuss
1. Divide the group into small teams of 5 or 6
2. Ask each team to line up one behind the other
3. Tell the person first in line a short statement ( e.g.
‘I like football’ or ‘I don’t like ketchup’) that they
must repeat without using any words to the person
behind them in the line
4. Each team member in turn relays the message they
think they ‘heard’ until the last person in the line
shouts it out

Hint: Encourage the teams to test different non-verbal
methods of communication e.g. hand signals, lipreading


What did it feel like trying to get your message
understood?
What non-verbal methods worked well? Which
ones didn’t?
How would it feel to be deaf or partially deaf within
a group?
Follow up activities could include finger spelling.
Using one hand
Party hats
What to do
You need
Paper
Ear plugs/headphones
Blindfolds
Chairs
1. Have students try different activities using only one hand
e.g.






Tying their shoes
Opening a jar that has a screw-on lid
Playing a game e.g. catch
Holding a stack of papers and handing out one
at a time
Painting
Eating a banana
Discuss


What problems did the group experience?
What if they couldn’t use either hand?
What to do
1. Split your group into teams of 3
2. Explain to the group that they have all been invited
to a party and must each make a party hat,
however………
3. In each team of 3 ask individuals to take on one of
3 roles e.g. Blind person, deaf person and
wheelchair user
4. Once the group have decided who is taking on
which role give them up to 10 minutes to make
their party hats and get to the party (e.g. the other
side of the room)
5. Give out refreshments or have a party 
Discuss



How did the groups work together to make the
hats?
How did the groups work together to get to the
party?
How did each person in the group feel?
Blindness
You need
A good blindfold
A room with chairs and possible obstacles e.g. table
What to do
1. Ask for 2 group members to volunteer to be a “guide”
and a “blind person.”
2. The guide’s job is to help the blind person come into
the room and go to the chair without running into
anything. They can tell them how to do it and can also
touch them to help guide their way.
3. Make sure the blindfold is on and foolproof.
4. Send the 2 volunteers into the hall and ask other
group members to re-arrange the room, placing the
chairs and obstacles around the available space. The
vacant chair should not be too easy to get to.
5. Ask the remaining group to either stand or sit around
the room.
6. Invite the volunteers back into the room and the guide
can begin to guide the blind person to their chair
Hint: Most “guides” grab the blind person and push them
around. This usually results in the “blind” person running
into things. “Guides” usually don’t describe the path, and
say “look out” instead of “stop” at major obstacles. When
the chair is reached, “guides” usually spin the “blind”
person around and push them into the seat, then leave
without explanation. If you get an exceptional “guide”
who does it well, use that as a way to talk about why
their method was successful.
Discuss




Did the guide do a good job?
How would it feel to be the blind person being
dragged or pushed?
What would be more helpful than saying “look out”?
How did the 2 volunteers feel?
In a wheelchair
You need
Borrow a wheelchair from a disability agency, local
surgery or see if the school nurse has one.
What to do
Follow up activities could include taking a trip around
the area you live and making notes about different
access issues, or joining a local access campaign.
Things have improved with the introduction of the
Disability Discrimination Act, but often access routes
are still not ideal.
1. Have each student take a turn sitting in the chair.
Have them try different activities:





Going from one part of the building to another,
pushing the wheelchair with their hands
Getting a book/box off the top shelf
Playing a game
Going to the toilet
Going through an outside door
Discuss



How did it feel to be in a wheelchair?
What would have made things better?
Students in wheelchairs are often left out of games
or PE or given the job of keeping score. Discuss
how this would feel. What if you hate keeping
score?
The ‘Open and Accessible to All’ working group would
welcome your feedback and suggestions on how they
might better support local groups to be more inclusive.
Please email your thoughts, suggestions and questions to
[email protected] or call 020 7703 4173.