Field trips: Reasonable adjustments

The most important aspect of encouraging students with disabilities, and particularly those with mobility and dexterity difficulties, to undertake field trips is to be prepared well in advance and to ask the student how they think they will be able to participate. You should start from the concept of engagement in the process rather than assume someone will not be able to cope. Assess the risks involved in the activity, but do not assess the student as being the risk.

Anticipatory approaches can help reduce the number of adjustments needed to meet the needs of individual students. Consider the information that you provide for students before a field trip. Many students feel uneasy about something that is totally unknown to them. Consider providing written or web information on practical arrangements such as transport, weather, clothing, equipment, medical facilities, sleeping arrangements, food etc. as well as academic content and expectations, and the learning environment. Making briefing sheets available in accessible formats before a trip can help students to feel prepared.

Forward planning allows students to be better prepared and offers them a chance to express any concerns. Offer information verbally, on the intranet, on paper and in alternative formats. Use concise bullet point notes supported by graphics, diagrams and maps for location, equipment and timetables. Flow charts may be very helpful for students with specific learning difficulties.

Encourage students to disclose any concerns about proposed field trips. Be upbeat but realistic. Consider including some examples of students’ difficulties in the health and safety questionnaire (e.g. under ‘any other illnesses requiring medication’, give ‘depression’ as an example). In briefing sessions with the whole group, make reference to the range of anxieties that students may have and encourage them to come and talk to you.

It is often necessary to discuss how to facilitate participation with the whole group of students on the field trip, particularly if collaborative or group work is involved, but make sure to respect instructions on confidentiality.

If specific adjustments are required to meet the needs of individual students then you should plan this carefully with each student and your institution’s disability coordinator. Arrange a meeting early in the planning stage to discuss the possible reasonable adjustments that might be required to enable the student to undertake each activity, acquire the skills and meet the learning outcomes.

The student may work with a practical assistant who can carry out certain activities at their direction. For example, a visually impaired student may require a sighted assistant to take readings from equipment or to carry out fiddly procedures. In this situation, it is important to be clear whether the student actually needs to be able to do the task themselves or whether they need to understand how to do the task.
If an activity involves group work where each student takes a different role, then it may be possible for the disabled student to undertake an activity that is accessible to them and which reflects their skills and abilities while being involved in the larger endeavour.
Where it is not possible to make a suitable adjustment in order for a student to achieve the set learning outcomes then an alternative activity should be devised that fulfils the same learning outcomes and is equally challenging and rigorous – for example, replacing a field activity with a laboratory exercise or a computer-based virtual fieldtrip.
After the activity, review the adjustment with the student and make any mutually acceptable modifications as appropriate for future similar activities.
If an adjustment cannot be made or if a proposed adjustment is considered unreasonable, explain this to the student.

It is good practice to record adjustments that are approved and not approved with full details of the reasons behind them. It would be sensible for your department or institution to keep written records of adjustments that have been put into place for practical activities with a review of how they worked – both from your perspective and that of the student. In this way you will be able to build up a resource of good practice that can be drawn on. However, always remember that adjustments are made to meet the needs of individual students.

Adjustments that you may want to consider include

offering single room accommodation
providing accommodation and facilities for a buddy or learning support worker to attend
providing alternative locations or means of transport
making arrangements for rest breaks, for example by providing a folding stool
allowing part-time attendance
providing extra time to complete tasks or reducing the number of tasks the student has to complete.

Once you are on site

be clear about expectations and time scales, provide clear instructions and check students’ understanding to reduce anxiety and stress
use easy to read ‘on the move’ formats – for example, smaller sheets of paper but still in large, clear fonts, perhaps using different coloured paper for the various components to help with organisational skills
make templates and forms available for recording data
allow the use of various technologies, from handheld note taking keyboards, talking compasses and calculators to laptops with text to speech, digital recorders and electronic organisers
be prepared to make verbal descriptions concise and remember to speak at a sensible pace
be prepared to provide an individual orientation to equipment and to the working environment
allow rest breaks
appreciate the distracting nature of some locations and prioritise the outcomes you wish to achieve
allow students time to catch up in an unobtrusive manner.

It will almost certainly be necessary to discuss how to facilitate participation with the blind student’s fellow students on a field trip, particularly if it involves collaborative or group work. Academic staff should adopt the default view that a student with a visual impairment can undertake field work, unless there are compelling reasons to the contrary.
The most important aspect of encouraging students with mobility and dexterity difficulties to undertake field trips is to be prepared well in advance and to consult the student about how they think they will be able to participate. Think through the following elements.

Environment

Is the terrain going to be accessible? If not, is there an alternative?
Is the weather going to be inclement? Cold, wet or great temperature changes do not suit some students.
Have requirements for special clothing been addressed?

Transport

Is an alternative mode of transport required?
Are there accessible entrances and exits with ramps, lifts etc?
Are there parking facilities near to the venue?
Can the transport be used over short distances when walking is not possible?
Is it possible to allow extra time for loading and unloading equipment?

Equipment

Is using the equipment easy? Are there accessible handles and lids?
Is assistance required to lift and carry items?
Is holding or positioning items a difficulty?

It is important to note that a student who has mobility difficulties may be able to cope in a laboratory or workshop setting but may not manage without an assistant on a field trip.

Some students with mental health difficulties cope very well on field trips but others may find the experience very difficult. It is important to provide a supportive environment but not be unnecessarily obtrusive or paternalistic.

When you speak, be sure to get the attention of your deaf students. In consultation with the deaf student, brief fellow students on good communication. They should be aware of the need to face a fellow student who is lip-reading and that the deaf student may need to seek clarification. Text messaging can be a useful way of communication, and equipping a deaf student with a vibrating pager is a good back-up for emergency alerts.

Students with specific learning difficulties are likely to be concerned about

taking hand-written notes or making drawings
remembering information.

The use of digital voice recorder, or digital camera with voice option are both useful strategies.