Tips for teaching athletic training students to work with athletes with disabilities, Part 1

These activities show that with a little effort, athletic training educators can provide students with experiences to help prepare them to serve athletes with disabilities. These five activities by no means cover all there is to know, but they provide real, hands-on approaches to decreasing fear and increasing confidence. They can initiate awareness of disabled athletes and provide a safe opportunity to learn how to work with them. Getting students involved with these athletes through planned experiences is an excellent learning tool that should be considered in all educational programs.