Youth Challenge
Teaching human rights & responsibilities.
Unit 2: Disability Rights
Teaching strategies
These teaching strategies are designed to assist you to structure the study of this unit in your classroom. The main aims are to raise the students’ awareness of the human rights issues involved and to develop their decision making skills to enable them to find informed and practicable solutions to the issues raised.
While the main topic of this unit is disability discrimination, its presentation is intended to demonstrate the likelihood that in any situation there are multilayered issues operating. It shows how no particular form of behaviour, regardless of whether it is positive or negative or lawful or unlawful, will necessarily occur in isolation in the parts of society where people interact. In coming to this understanding, students will work through the ideas associated with balancing the requirements of a range of stakeholders in a given situation. In doing so, they will develop the skills associated with reaching resolution through informed discussion, negotiation and due consideration of internal and external influencing factors (such as legal requirements, personal relationships and policy issues as applied in the school).
The activities included in the unit lead students to draw comparisons between the dramatised school community situation and their personal experiences by looking at how concepts of difference, discrimination and harassment may operate in their daily lives.
Students look at the issues around an individual’s right to education in an environment free from unlawful discrimination. An account of the DVD action (a 'script') is supplied as an alternative to the DVD, or as an additional resource for reference in the discussions arising out of the study of this unit.
The unit provides teachers and students with materials to explore the factors of competing human rights and responsibilities in a school environment. In working through the unit, students will be exposed to the issue of multiple human rights existing together in a given context, and the competing nature of those rights and their related responsibilities. Part of the challenge of this unit is for students to achieve an understanding of the balance required in applying the relevant principles and laws to their decision making processes, and to ensure that each individual's rights and responsibilities are addressed appropriately.
Learning outcomes
In this unit students will:
- investigate the issue of 'difference' and how this relates to the way people may be treated
- understand the key features of the law in relation to disability discrimination
- understand that there may be multiple human rights and responsibilities to be considered in any situation
- apply the concepts of human rights to their own lives
- identify a range of human rights and responsibilities that apply in the school setting
- develop cooperative learning and decision making skills
The Unit 2: Disability Rights Teaching Strategy is divided into the following stages:
- Stage 1: The themes, task and process explored
- Stage 2: Identifying the issues in Doug’s case
- Stage 3: Investigating the implications of Doug’s case
- Stage 4: Students work toward decisions about possible solutions
- Stage 5: Students present their solutions to the class
- Stage 6: Class discussion and debriefing
Stage 1: The themes, task and process explored
This stage establishes the matters that will be examined through viewing the DVD (or reading the script) and through participating in the activities included, which are designed to assist students in developing problem solving skills. You may find it useful to introduce this unit with a class discussion about human rights issues generally. Some of the ideas presented in the introduction to this unit may be useful in guiding such a discussion and may give students an opportunity to acknowledge any prior learning and understanding in the area of human rights that they may have.
The themes raised in the DVD/script are:
- How are competing human rights and responsibilities balanced appropriately to best meet the needs of all?
- How do the issues of disability discrimination relate to notions of 'difference' for students in the context of the school community?
- What responsibilities do different members of the school community have toward each other?
- What rights are legally protected for students and for teachers in a school environment?
The task is to work out a solution to Doug's situation which best meets the need to balance his rights with others' rights, and clarifies the school's role in achieving this. The solution also needs to fulfil the requirements of the law.
The process is to discuss the DVD/script in class, to understand the issues that are raised, and then to use decision-making skills to come to a solution. It is important that the process takes into account all points of view and all implications using the position cards provided. The solution to be sought should best fit the needs and obligations of all parties. In discussion students will be able to consider the relevance of the issues raised in their own lives.
Stage 2: Identifying the issues in Doug’s case
- Activity sheet: The school community - What are Doug’s rights and responsibilities?
- Resource sheet: The law
Students are each given a copy Activity sheet: The school community - What are Doug’s rights and responsibilities?. The questions on the sheet are guides to the notes students should take during their viewing of the DVD, which will assist in the recall of the range of issues that arise in Doug's school. Teachers should encourage students to use their notes to inform their discussion as they work toward a solution within small groups in later stages of the unit.
After they have finished watching the DVD, engage students in a class discussion (with reference to the notes they have made) to ensure they are clear about the facts of the situation: what has happened, who is involved, what the key issues are.
Points of discussion could include:
Identifying issues of 'difference,' both in terms of before and after the accident, and from one person to another:
- in how Doug behaves
- in how Doug is treated by other students
- in how Doug is treated by teachers
Identifying the rights applying:
- to Doug, in terms of disability discrimination
- to the teaching staff, in terms of a safe work environment
- to the other students, in terms of accessing education
- any others, and how these are interconnected
Identifying the areas of responsibility and whose they are:
- to provide appropriate access to education for all students
- to provide a safe environment under duty of care principles for students and occupational health and safety for teachers
- to uphold the laws against discrimination on the basis of disability
Some questions to assist in identifying these areas may include:
- What has happened to Doug?
- How does his behaviour affect classmates, teachers and the school?
- What are the different points of view expressed by Doug's teachers?
- What points are being made by the counsellor and by Doug's mother?
Students may identify other issues in discussion. Allow them to explore the various points of view so that they can see the competing nature of some of the rights and responsibilities identified.
Students should then read The law resource sheet. (Note that the information provided is a guide only, and should not be relied upon for legal advice.)
Stage 3: Investigating the implications of Doug’s case
In this stage, the focus is on the teamwork element of understanding the problems faced in a community and coming to a unified position about a possible solution. Students should be divided into small groups.
It should be acknowledged that while the aim of the exercise is to come to a resolution of the issues faced in the scenario, it may be that in some situations a unified position cannot be agreed upon. In these circumstances Doug or the teachers may need to seek resolution from an outside body such as the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission or their State Equal Opportunity body. Further information on HREOC's Complaint Handling process is included at Stage 6.
There are different ways that the activities in this stage may be approached, and depending on the class in question, or on the cross-curricula issues you are focusing on, you may wish to have the small groups concentrate on one of the issues raised in particular. Alternatively, you could allocate different of the issues to each group, e.g., disability discrimination; duty of care; occupational health and safety; etc. Or it may work more effectively in terms of goals and outcomes you wish to achieve to ask the groups to address each issue consecutively.
Students should be divided into small groups. They should already have a copy of the The law resource sheet and The school community notes they have taken. They are then given:
- A set of Key questions which should be covered in the discussion
- A set of Position cards
The Position cards contain statements and comments from the characters in the DVD/script and from the broader school community. These may be used in a role-play of 'what happens next?' in response to where Doug is left at the end of the story. This could be done within the small groups or across groups (with one or two representatives from each group in the role-play).
Alternatively, the cards may be used as launch points for further discussion of the issues and demonstration of the attitudes displayed in the DVD/script.
However you decide to use them, all Position cards should be heard by all members of each group for consideration in their discussions and their proposed solutions.
Presentations of the Position cards should be followed by a discussion within the small group, using the Key questions to highlight some of the views presented and to work towards possible solutions.
Stage 4: Students work toward decisions about possible solutions
This stage is about exploring the techniques of problem solving in a group situation through reasoned debate to work toward a mutually agreed solution.
After discussing the Key questions and coming up with answers to them, students should consider a variety of possible solutions to issues encountered by the range of affected parties at Doug's school, and recommend what they think will be the best solution.
A Decision making activity sheet is supplied for use in this activity.
In their discussions, ensure that the students consider how the range of proposed solutions affect all the parties represented in the DVD/script - primarily Doug, the other students, the teaching staff, the school's administration (represented by the counsellor) and Doug's mother. They should also recognise and consider any advantages and disadvantages that their proposed solutions carry with them.
At the end of the discussion students should decide what they might do to resolve the situation at Doug's school.
Solutions might include:
- providing special assistance to Doug at school
- providing advice to teachers about their responsibilities
- providing advice to students about strategies to integrate Doug's needs into their learning environment
- seeking advice from HREOC or the Anti-Discrimination Board or Commission in their state
- moving Doug to another school - but only if Doug choose this option
- a combination of all or many of the above
Stage 5: Students present their solutions to the class
In this stage, students should create a presentation which shows how they came to their final decisions. Their presentation should also reflect the understanding they have developed about decision making in terms of negotiation, discussion and balancing the human rights and responsibilities raised in this context. For example, some ideas they might emphasise in their presentations could include:- the competition that can exist between moral and legal rights
- the power imbalance between different parties and how this could be addressed
- the understanding required by the whole community as to their responsibilities in upholding human rights
- the importance of employees knowing what their rights are within the workplace
- obligations in society to ensuring a safe environment at school and work
- the need to balance a duty of care from teachers and the school with the students' responsibility to act appropriately
- how and why it is difficult to satisfy all parties in an issue such as this
- the advantages of discussion over confrontation in coming to a decision
- a TV drama
- a debate
- a TV panel show
- a staged vox pop session
- a current affairs show
- an interview
- a courtroom drama
- a TV / radio advertising campaign
Stage 6: Class discussion and debriefing
The class can now review the issues they have identified and explored in their presentations, including the difficulties they had in coming to decisions which suit all parties. For example, you might emphasise:
- what understanding students have developed about human rights in the school community
- how individual rights work in relation to the consideration of the rights of others
- how effectively negotiation can be used to resolve conflict
- what could happen when a mutually agreed resolution is unable to be made
- what courses of action might not be appropriate in some circumstances and why
- the point at which there may be a need to consult the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission or other anti-discrimination bodies
- the need to bring all parties together to ensure that they understand one another's rights and the appropriate ways to show respect for those rights
The debriefing of students could also include information on how this situation would be handled if it came before the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission or an Anti-Discrimination Board or Commission. Some basic information regarding the official complaint processes of HREOC is provided with more detail available at the HREOC website at: http://www.humanrights.gov.au/complaints_information/ and includes the Pathways to Resolution Video/ DVD (with information on how to order) which provides a short introduction to HREOC’s complaint handling processes. See: http://www.humanrights.gov.au/pathways_to_resolution/index.html
These teaching notes are also available for download in 
Word and 
PDF formats.