Inside the J.P. McCaskey East gym, the sounds of music and cheering filled the air as students bowled, painted, danced, played basketball, launched objects into the air, and took turns exploring activities designed just for them.
For nearly 50 School District of Lancaster students with multiple disabilities, this was more than a field day. It was a chance to participate fully, make choices, experience movement, and celebrate the end of the school year in a way that centered their needs, abilities, and joy.
This year marked the first time the district hosted a field day specifically for students in multiple disabilities classrooms. In previous years, these students participated in a larger event for all special education students. This year’s event created a more intentional experience with adapted activities, modified equipment, and opportunities for students to engage at their own pace.
Across the gym and outdoor spaces, students walked, rolled, painted, played, and celebrated alongside staff, volunteers, and classmates. Some students used switches to activate equipment. Others participated with the support of paraprofessionals, teachers, and adapted physical education staff. Outside, students could even press a switch to dump a bucket of water over a staff member’s head while music played nearby.
The event was designed by adapted physical education teachers Nicole McCoy and Brett McCoy, with support from the district’s adapted physical education team, including Christina Portelli and Zach Thomas. Together, the team serves students in multiple disabilities classrooms across the district, traveling to schools each week to provide adapted physical education opportunities.
Their goal is to give students as much control, choice, and independence as possible. For students with limited mobility, even a small movement can create a big opportunity. A head movement, finger movement, or hand press can allow a student to start a bike, launch a ball, activate a projector game, make art, or take part in an activity that might not have been accessible without thoughtful adaptation.
That kind of access was on display throughout the day. One of the newest pieces of equipment was an adapted bicycle modified with help from former McCaskey East computer science teacher Andrew Friedlund, who now teaches engineering at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. Three of his students helped transform the bike as part of an end-of-year project by replacing the back wheel with a motorized one and adding a switch.
The modification allows a student, with adult supervision, to press a switch to start and stop the bike. For many students, that means having a say in when the ride begins, when it pauses, and how they experience movement.
The day also reflected the creativity and collaboration happening across the district and community. Members of the McCaskey Robotics Club helped support and repair adaptive equipment, including an adapted basketball launcher and catapult. Their work gave students new ways to play and compete.
That connection between students was one of the most meaningful parts of the event. McCaskey students volunteered throughout the day, helping run activities and encouraging younger students as they explored each station.
From the Lü Interactive Playground, which uses a projector to turn walls into interactive games, to switch-adapted activities, spin art, bowling, football, and basketball, every station was built around the belief that all students deserve access to meaningful and engaging experiences.
The McCoys often create and modify equipment themselves, using donated materials, repurposed items, grant funding, community partnerships, and a lot of creative problem-solving. Their work shows what is possible when educators look at a student’s needs and ask, “How can we make this work?”
At its heart, the field day was about belonging. It was about students being seen not for what they cannot do, but for the joy they bring into every space.
It was about staff members celebrating every smile, every laugh, every switch press, every painted page, every toss, every ride, and every moment of connection. And it was about making sure students with multiple disabilities had a day designed with them in mind from the very beginning.
For the School District of Lancaster, that is what inclusion looks like in action. Not simply inviting students into a space, but building the space so they can fully participate. For more photos, visit us on Facebook.
