A north-east secondary school hosted a disability awareness day in an effort to demonstrate the challenges facing young wheelchair users.
Pupils of all ages took part in the Go Kids Go event at Ellon Academy yesterday which offered the chance to learn to manoeuvre a wheelchair.
The aim was to educate youngsters about the different ways in which their peers must tackle everyday tasks.
Kim Corser, an additional support for learning teacher at the school, said the awareness day was a triumph.
“It’s manoeuvring activities which are fun for the kids,” she said last night. “We’ve done a lot of obstacles training like going up kerbs. The guy who’s been demonstrating also showed the kids how to go down stairs which is a little more dangerous.
“We’ve played wheelchair games like basketball and showed how games can be modified so everyone can be involved.”
Five sessions were held throughout the day with around 20 kids in each lesson, many of whom are friends with wheelchair users at the school.
The hope is that these groups will “spread the word” around their wider peer groups.
Mrs Corser continued: “They have thoroughly enjoyed it. A lot of it comes from not understanding how challenging it can be manoeuvring in a wheelchair – the turning circle really is quite big.
“The practicalities of stopping, turning around, and doing other tasks while moving are all really important.”
She added that wheelchair using pupils from the academy joined in the sessions and enjoyed “showing what they’re able to do”.
“They’ve been outmanoeuvring all the able-bodied pupils.”
The workshops were delivered by Go Kids Go, a specialist national charity that supports independence through mobility.
