Accessibility and Digital Tools

"Accessibility allows us to tap into everyone's potential." -Debra Ruh

Accessibility is a major part of my job. In fact, it's in my office's name! I work for the Office of Accommodations and Disability Access at Dominican University. My job is to make sure students are receiving their accommodations, as well as provide 1:1 support to a handful of students. 

Accessibility is important because it provides the tools and/or resources that help the student overcome the challenges a condition and/or disability may cause. Even people without disabilities benefit from accessibility features or accessible spaces (e.g. captions, automatic doors, remote work options). 

Unfortunately, there are academic, social, and emotional ramifications to a student who can't access campus spaces, assignments, or exams. In addition, a lack of accessibility has legal implications!

Here are a few examples of how accessibility is incorporated into my job:

• Adding and/or editing captions on lectures, podcasts, and films 
• Students can use eReader programs to have tests read aloud
• Testing computers can be set to a "Greyscale" palette
• Offering digital or enlarged text formats of textbooks
• Editing class handouts to a dyslexia-friendly font or enlarge the text
• Transcribing services for students who can't use Scantrons
• Organizing Sign Language Interpreters for the semester

My Strengths

I have knowledge of accessibility features and tools used in college since that is where I am currently employed. This includes Microsoft accessibility features, Kurzweil, Livescribe, Glean, Otter.ai, and Panopto Video Captions. In fact, I was able to attend an AHEAD (Association on Higher Education and Disability) conference where they presented on accessibility features. Here is a guide I compiled on how to check for accessibility on handouts or presentations, as well as some resources on language use. Let me know if it helps you!

In addition, I think one of my strengths is that I am a disabled student. I have experienced tremors, aphasia (slurred speech), limited mobility, brain fog, among other symptoms. It deeply affected my ability to participate in both social and academic spaces. However, I was able to experiment with different accessibility tools/features while my condition flared, and share my tips to other students! Being vulnerable with my struggles helps me connect with students on my caseload since we are able to relate to each other's experiences and find what works best for them.

Areas of Improvement

First, I want to learn more about accessibility tools used in schools (Primary-Highschool) since I am only familiar with tools used at the college level. Something that interested me from this week's readings was Google's dictation and captioning feature, which I want to try out! Second, while I use accessibility tools nearly everyday in my field, I tend to not carry it over into spaces outside of school and work. I do not insert image descriptions, or make sure the content I post on social media. This is probably due to my social circle being small, and them not needing accessible content. However, I would like to get better at making sure my content is accessible if I were to share more public sites, like on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram. A final challenge I face is when professors do not make their content accessible. How can I encourage others to make their content accessible without relying on the "legal" argument? One resource I thought could help was the Empathy Prompts, which try to simulate different disabilities. Perhaps simulating or educating staff and faculty on certain disabilities could encourage them to make their content more accessible!

iPad Accessibility Features

This week, I explored the accessibility features on an iPad. I chose this device because it was used in multiple classrooms I observed, and I own one. I tend to use the iPad when I need work from my bed when my condition is flaring. However, even after 2 years of owning my iPad, I have not explored the accessibility settings outside of its dictation feature!

Below are some of the features I explored that I feel would benefit students. Students who would especially benefit from these features are those with processing disorders, fine motor impairments, or visual impairments.

Accessibility Infographic by Lauren Johnson
Infographic Template Sourced from Canva

References

1. ADA National Network [@ADANational]. (2021 January 20). "Accessibility allows us to tap into

        everyone's potential" (Debra Ruh) [Tweet, thumbnail image]. Twitter.

        https://twitter.com/adanational/status/1351903638235525120?lang=en

2. Ellis, B. (2021). Nine technology tools for accommodation, modification, and intervention.
        TCEA. https://blog.tcea.org/nine-technology-tools-accommodation-modification-intervention/
        utm_source=TCEA+Emails&utm_campaign=b5526b4e16-TN
        nov2&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f3a5bb651e-b5526b4e16-68358695

3. N.p. (2022) Empathy Prompts. Github. https://github.com/ericwbailey/empathy-prompts#readme