The Inclusion Spectrum: One Game, Five Formats

The inclusion spectrum describes five ways to organize practice: open, modified, parallel, separate and disability sport for everyone. The class experiences all five formats with a precision game and decides which fits each situation.

How to play

1. Explain the spectrum with one example of each format (3 min).
2. Open: everyone throws at a target under the same rules (5 min).
3. Modified: same courts with distances and rules adjusted per player; parallel: ability groups on separate courts doing the same task (10 min).
4. Separate: one group practices a specific technique apart and then rejoins; disability sport for everyone: the whole class plays seated boccia and masked roll-ball goalball (11 min).
5. Moving debate: each student stands by the cone of the format they'd choose for three scenarios the teacher reads, and defends it (6 min).

Rules

• No format is better than another; it depends on the situation.
• In the masked part, the ball always rolls and is thrown gently.
• Each group puts away its gear before switching formats.
• The debate is about formats, never about specific classmates.

Variations

Adaptations

• Wheelchair user: takes part in every format from their chair; boccia is a sport where they compete on equal terms.
• Blind student: in the disability sport format, acts as the expert explaining goalball.
• Anxious student: can choose the separate format as a calm practice space before rejoining.

Learning goals

• Know the five formats of the inclusion spectrum.
• Choose the organization to fit the context.
• See disability sport as valuable practice for everyone.

Equipment for a class of 25

• boccia sets: 4
• bell balls: 2
• eye masks: 15
• cones: 20
• masking tape: 2

Teacher tip

The disability-sport-for-all format (also called reverse integration) surprises students most: many find boccia harder than it looks. Write out the three debate scenarios in advance so you don't improvise.

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