Communication
Module 3: Communication Learning Objectives
- Identify effective communication strategies for athletes with disabilities.
Effective Communication
In the video below, discover why the use of plain language is so important when communicating, and learn about resources and effective tools for putting plain language into practice.
Increasing communication pathways for students with disabilities and their families can help facilitate increased participation in inclusive sports programs.
Ways to Increase Communication:
- Use social media to “get the word out” about opportunities.
- Talk with your superintendent or school’s administration about sending home flyers about opportunities.
- Explicitly say that all athletes are welcome in communications.
- Seek out disability specific groups and engage them intentionally.
- Survey students with disabilities and their families on their interests in sports and other physical activity programming.
- Showcase an inclusive sports demonstration during a football or basketball halftime show.
Example from Athens County on Promoting an Inclusive Sports Program:
Example Social Media Post Language
- "Want to play sports this fall at the Athens Community Center? Register for the Inclusive Sports Sampler, a 5-week inclusive sports development program for Athens County youth ages 8+ with and without disabilities. We play together! For more information or to register [insert descriptive hyperlink].
Example Website Language
Inclusive Sports Sampler: Want to play sports this fall at the Athens Community Center?
Register for the Inclusive Sports Sampler!
A 5-week inclusive sports development program for Athens County youth
- When: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Oct. 7 through Nov. 6
- Where: Athens Community Center Gymnasium
- Who: Youth 8+ with or without a disability
- Cost: $10
Benefits
- Try multiple sports
- Inclusive and fun instruction
- Mentoring and coaching
- Focus on skill progression
- Safe environment
This program is intended for youth ages 8+, with or without a disability. We play together!
Has your child tried a sport before and felt like it just wasn’t the right fit because they didn’t have the right support or felt nervous to jump right into a team? The Inclusive Sports Sampler will feature Ohio University student coaches trained in adaptive and inclusive sports who are ready to facilitate participation for everyone and provide just the right amount of challenge.
This program is a collaborative effort between the Southeast Ohio Center for Independent Living, the Ohio University Department of Physical Therapy, and the Ohio University Patton College of Education. Staff from all three organizations will train and observe the Ohio University student coaches.
Example Recruitment Flyer with Image Description
- Image Description: A Flyer with a colorful background that reads Inclusive Sports Sampler, Athens Community Center Tuesday and Thursday 6:30 - 7:30 October 7 - November 6. Youth ages 8+ with or without a disability - we play together! Try multiple sports with fun coaches! Register online: http://bit.ly/4mLDo4o or call 740-592-3325 or stop by the Athens Community Center, 701 East State Street Athens. The flyer contains the logos for SOCIL, the Athens City-County Health Department, the Athens Community Center, and Ohio University with three photos of kids with and without disabilities playing sports together in gymnasiums, and icons of a basketball, volleyball, football, and pickleball racket representing the sports offered in the Inclusive Sports Sampler.
- Association of University Centers on Disability ABCs of Plain Language
- Autistic Self Advocacy Network One Idea Per Line: A Guide to Making Easy Read Resources
- NCHPAD - Mary's Top 10 Communication Tips (Video)
- NCHPAD Effective Communication in Sports (Video)
- CDC Everyday Words for Public Health Communication
- Australian Sports Commission Creating a Positive Environment and Communicating Effectively with People with Disabilities
Module 3 Knowledge Check
- Which of the following are resources where you can learn how to communicate using plain language? (Select all that apply)
- One Idea Per Line Guide
- ABCs of Plain Language
- Everyday Words for Public Health Communication
- The first two options only
- Which of the following are resources where you can learn how to communicate using plain language? (Select all that apply)
- One Idea Per Line Guide
- ABCs of Plain Language
Everyday Words for Public Health Communication