Inclusivity for students with disabilities can only be successful when those students feel that they are part of the community. Inclusion means incorporating support for students with disabilities and addressing their needs. Creating ways that students can encounter their peers in their everyday surroundings will nurture the inclusivity schools need.
Hannah Land, a special education teacher at Spartanburg High School, created Turn Up the Norse to introduce more inclusivity to sports events. Turn Up the Norse provides bags with sensory items for students with sensory needs at varsity football and basketball games. The bag includes headphones to help with the loud noises of the cheering crowd or the band’s music. Sunglasses are also included to dim the bright lights across the stadium. Sensory toys and fidgets are included to manage overstimulation through a calming input. These bags allow students with disabilities to enjoy games along with their peers.
During Land’s first year of teaching at Spartanburg High School, she attended one of the very first football games in Spartanburg High’s new stadium. While there, she noticed a student with autism with his family, who was struggling with the loud sounds of the stadium. The family left the game early, presumably because of the noisy environment. This experience sparked Land’s idea to create a program to encourage attendance of all students.
Hannah Land has been teaching at SHS for over five years and shares her desire to make sporting events more comfortable for fans with sensory needs and their families.
“I love sports, and I want to make sure all members of our community have access to sporting events at Spartanburg High School. This program is Spartanburg High School’s way of helping individuals with sensory needs feel more comfortable at varsity football and basketball games,” Land said.
Ensuring inclusivity in school activities, such as sports games, ensures that students feel accepted. It allows students with different backgrounds, abilities and personalities to interact with each other. Turn Up the Norse is run by Land and student volunteers. Students receive volunteer hours for clubs or societies while gaining real-life experiences with diverse communities. Students get to learn acceptance that will prepare them for a broader society.
Victor Earle (12) has volunteered with Turn Up the Norse for many years.
“At first, I started volunteering to Turn Up the Norse for service hours. But doing it more often made me realize that there is a deeper meaning other than just volunteer work. To me, Turn Up the Norse gives you more of a chance to get out there and help more people. People who don’t necessarily need anything from it still ask about it. And even then, you are allowing them to know that there is someone out there helping others who don’t get the attention or supplies they need,” Earle said.
When neurotypical students interact with their neurodivergent peers, they develop stronger empathy for others and resourcefulness. Students get to create friendships with someone they might not meet on a day-to-day basis.
According to gigisplayhouse.org, a national Down syndrome organization, schools that prioritize inclusion create higher engagement from families and educators, leading to more compassion and participation.
“When every child feels valued, the entire school community thrives. Inclusive schools also experience higher teacher retention rates, as educators develop deeper connections with students and find greater fulfillment in their roles.”
