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Videos and Books about Kids Who Have Difficulty Moving Around

Here are a few videos and books about kids who have difficulty moving around.  Ask your parents or teachers if you can get these to watch or read. 

Winner Never Quits, A (1986) (TV Film)
Rate G
During WWII a baseball player (Pete Gray, outfielder for St. Louis Browns) plays with only one arm lost as a child and becomes inspiration for a young boy also with one arm. Gray went into sport after his brother was brain damaged boxing. Initially he got his first job in minor league with the Memphis Chicks because of his oddity value. He proves his worth and with the drain of many major league players to the war he earns promotion. The boy, Nelson Gary Jr., who he encourages also became a minor league player.

The Mighty (1998)  
Rated PG-13
Story of a boy who has difficulty getting around.  He has a taste for adventure stories and befriends his neighbor who is physically strong but mentally challenged. 

 

Simon Birch ( 1998)
Rated PG 
Story about a young boy who is short and has difficulty getting around.  Follow his story as he tries to figure out his place in the world.  

 

Zoom
by Istvan Banyai, Astvan Banyai
Ages 4-8 years
Sometimes things are not as they appear.  Zoom out to get a different perspective.

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Check Out the Playground in Your School and Neighborhood

Look around your school and neighborhood playgrounds to see how many barriers need to be changed to help kids with disabilities play.  If you can't answer "yes" to both of the questions, kids who have difficulty moving around may not have the same opportunities to be athletes as kids without disabilities.  

1.  Would kids who have difficulty moving around be able to play on the playground equipment in your neighborhood?  Or are there steps, rough pathways, or narrow doorways that get in their way?

2.  If you were in a wheelchair, could you swing in the swings?

If you answered "no" to either question, tell your teacher that he or she needs to check out the following websites on accessibility guidelines. 

Boundless Playgrounds is a non-profit program to provide technical assistance to community to help them build accessible playgrounds. 

A Guide to the ADA Guidlines for Accessible Play Areas This website gives you information about how to make your playground accessible.

After checking out the information above, can you invent a new piece of playground equipment that would be accessible to everyone?

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Zoom Out

Look at the picture below.  This athlete has difficulty moving around.  Can you guess which choice below best describes his disability?

He is sitting in a wheelchair.     He has a prosthesis for a leg.     He walks on crutches.       Zoom out to see...

(Picture courtesy of Canine Companions, Inc.)

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Date: September 28, 2006
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities