VIDBE-Q 2025 Volume 70 Issue 4
knowledge and strategies from previous experiences. This collaborative, reflective
approach is designed to foster lifelong skill building.
A central outcome sought by Bridges faculty is the creation of sustainable,
transferable outcomes, ensuring that students can continue their learning far
beyond the classroom. This is particularly crucial in physical fitness and recreation,
where students will not always have their adapted physical education (APE)
teacher present in adulthood. Cultivating self-awareness and self-advocacy enables
students to identify the accommodations they need and ensure these supports are
implemented across diverse activities and environments. Research shows that
explicit instruction in self-determination and self-advocacy is essential for students
with visual impairments to successfully access supports and achieve greater
independence (Sapp & Hatlen, 2010). Cultivating self-awareness and self-
advocacy enables students to identify the accommodations they need and ensure
these supports are implemented across diverse activities and environments.
Developing these abilities fosters greater independence and prepares students for
active participation within their communities. Focusing on self-awareness and self-
advocacy aligns with the Expanded Core Curriculum's emphasis on self-
determination, problem-solving, and self-advocacy as foundational components for
thriving in school and beyond.
54
