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This is a Padlet, which is like a virtual bulletin board that you can post ideas, links, videos, etc. on to share.

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This is a Padlet, which is like a virtual bulletin board that you can post ideas, links, videos, etc. on to share.

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1. For this week, make a post (click +) and share a resource, question or concern about being able to accommodate students when you build technology into your course.
(be sure to include your name in your post!!)
2. Add your photo to your post (use options at bottom when in edit mode)
3. Change the color of your post (click off post and then use three dots in upper right-hand corner)
3. Reply to at least 2 of your peers' posts (use reply box at bottom of post).

Learn more about Padlet here https://youtu.be/UkBnwPqaIjA.

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How can be recognize and reconcile other ways we might hold implicit biases against folks with disabilities? 

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How can be recognize and reconcile other ways we might hold implicit biases against folks with disabilities? 

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This video is geared to mental health professionals but I think it applies to other professionals, including teachers. I'm not sure how well trained we are in interacting with this population, which can lead to some microaggressions and other harmful interactions. For me, going into counselor education, I need to do everything I can to provide academic accommodations but also discuss the needs of this population in sensitive and competent ways.

Side note: I like Padlet! Can it be used with screen readers and other accessiblily programs?

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Psychology and disability: Minimizing ableism in the counselling room

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What about Students who do not realize they need an accommodation?

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What about Students who do not realize they need an accommodation?

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One issue that I have faced in the past is students not knowing in advance that they may need accommodations. For example, a high proportion of men are color blind, howeverr, students might not even know that they are because it has never been an issue until they are in the chemistry lab trying to decipher a color change that they cannot see. Should we perhaps start looking at listing abilities that are required to complete courses, like they have in job descriptions often times? Is there another solution or approach that might work better?

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I keep imagining a situation where a student does not disclose a disability at the start of the semester and at some point in the semester it becomes apparent that because of their disability they are not able to either participate in an assignment or fully engage with the course material. In this case, how should the situation be handled? As an instructor you don't want to punish this student or their grade. Do you immediately reach out to DAS?
Jillian F.

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Unfortunately, there is some stigma about hidden disorders or even visible disorder, as Nichole mentioned in her post.  I was just wondering, how do I make sure that, in my attempt to accommodate students needs, that I don't put them on the spot or feel make the feel uncomfortable. For example, when group work accommodations need to be made, how do you make sure accommodations are being met but not single the student out in front of their peer if they are not comfortable sharing?
-Christina Garasky

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Students may not yet know how to advocate for themselves because they never had to do so in high school, where they had Individual Education Plans. Parents, subject teachers, special education teachers, interpreters, education technologists, and anyone else related to the student's IEP would meet on a regular basis to discuss accommodations and recommend changes as necessary for the student's success. As Tara Cramer stated, it is the university's job to ensure the accommodations are present to empower the student to do the work. Beyond that, no one but the student will really know how to fine tune those accommodations. Students may have never had to ask for adjustments. A few real examples from people I know:
An ASL interpreter in a face-to-face classroom sat in a chair directly in front of the student. The instructor used a lot of visual aids in the lecture. The student would miss important information because she had to shift her attention back and forth between the interpreter and the screen. I recommended she ask the interpreter to stand next to the screen to make it easier to follow the instructor. She didn't know she was allowed to do that.
A student with mild cerebral palsy did poorly on an exam in a STEM class her freshman year because she needed to use two hands to hold a measuring device and draw lines. When she asked the instructor for help, she was told he could not do it for her. She didn't know what to do, so she left those questions blank. I recommended she tell the instructor exactly what she needed from him: "I am going to place this device where it needs to be. Would you hold it in place while I draw this line?"
We can follow the recommendations of DAS, and we can tell the students we will work with them to find the right solutions, but how do we communicate to students that it is ultimately up to them to let us know what they need to be successful if the accommodations are no longer meeting their needs?
-Erin Casey

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Potential limitations on using technology - Jose Iturrizaga

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Potential limitations on using technology - Jose Iturrizaga

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I think that using technology can be very beneficial for remote learning. It could enhance certain concepts and be more inclusive by providing different ways of learning. As we all know, some people prefer and learn better in certain ways than others, and each individual has their own preferred method. The use of technology can ease and broaden the way in which concepts get assimilated by different individuals. However, certain more novel technologies may generate a gap between students with different backgrounds. Some technologies may increase the demand for internet or devices, that some students may not have access to, which could potentially create frustration among them. Therefore, I think that technology should be used to be more inclusive, and always keeping in mind that the simpler and cheaper it is, the better. Of course, if certain technology must be used, the professor or instructor, may find ways to provide this experience for their students.

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Joshua Evans My main concern about providing an online platform for students is keeping them engaged. We know how easy it is for students to multi-task in class and not really pay attention to what is going on. I am concerned about that being an even bigger issue when learning online. Finding ways to pull students into the material would be a unique challenge that technology would have to address.

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One of my main concerns in accommodating students is the additional time it will take to create accessible content. If the class were face-to-face, I assume most professors don't automatically have the mindset to create a Canvas course or create group activities that accommodate all.Things also get dicey when there is a student who needs accommodation but do not pursue it. A best practice would be to automatically create accommodations, but as stated previously, this may be time consuming.

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I had a student in the class I TA'd in the spring who needed extra time on assignments for his accommodation.  I found it was pretty easy in Canvas to add time to one student's quiz attempts.  Due to the pandemic, though, several students, including the one with the accommodation, were requesting additional time.  I think that brings up the point that sometimes the instructor has to consider extraordinary circumstances... no one had a note from DAS, but I think most instructors made a lot of exceptions in the spring and even now, just because of the mental/emotional strain everyone is going through.

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How do we determine which resources to use, and how do we (successfully) incorporate them in the classroom? (Anna Taft). 

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How do we determine which resources to use, and how do we (successfully) incorporate them in the classroom? (Anna Taft). 

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Assistive technology is an incredibly helpful way to provide accommodations to students and help them succeed in their learning environment, whether that be in a face-to-face, online, or hybrid classroom. It's easy to do a quick search to find examples of assistive technologies, but how do we as educators and facilitators judge these technologies for what they're worth and what they can provide our students - and not just students that need or require accommodations, but any student that could potentially benefit from utilizing an assistive technology. This is especially relevant regarding cost of education and what financial aid and funds are available for students to buy access to accessibility. After we as instructors find assistive technologies, how can we then use them to create differentiation in the classroom? Finally, how might we use the SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition) model to integrate technology in the classroom so that it is 1) useful and beneficial to student learning, and 2) builds upon learning objectives and informs assessment for all students?

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I am wondering how accessible technology would be to students who don't have access to a functional updated computer. For example, this semester I discovered that my MAC was outdated and couldn't support my program course requirement, SPSS. I had to buy a $600 laptop. Some people may be using the same technology for ten years, since their freshman year of college! How does one overcome this?

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Technology is a double-sword for students with disabilities

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Technology is a double-sword for students with disabilities

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Amanda Wu:
I think that using technology is a double sword for students with disabilities. On one hand, students with impaired mobility, phycological barriers will be beneficial from online learning as compared to from in-person class, because for them, absorbing materials from online platform will be easier. On the other hand, students with impaired vision will suffer from online classes if the materials online are not coded in the way that screen readers can access easily; in addition, students with impaired hearing can also suffer from the lack of captions for online videos. Therefore, we need to pay more attention to accommodating students with impaired vision and impaired hearing. For instance, I just learned that Padlet is a friendly tool to screen readers (https://padlet.com/about/accessibility), and VoiceThread is also a good tool for students with impaired vision and hearing  (https://voicethread.com/about/features/accessibility).

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My concern is students with disabilities who may not have access to the technology necessary to accommodate their disability in an online class. I know this semester, at least one student in the class I TA for does not have access to a webcam. Several others have expressed similar concerns about technology. Luckily, these students do not have disabilities and can easily work around not having these technologies. But if they did have a disability, I think it would limit their ability to access the course.

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This is a photo of me voting in the Missouri presidential primary election. As a person with a visual impairment, accessibility is involved in all aspects of my life. For this post, I needed sighted assistance to create the post because both my computer and phone screen readers were not able to focus on  the edit field. Once I was able to focus on the text field or focused on the post options, I was able to upload a photo and write my post independently

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What about accommodations during online discussions?

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What about accommodations during online discussions?

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During my experience as a TA, the most frequent accommodation required for students is the need for extended time and being tested in an environment without distractions. How do we accommodate it into online discussions that require students to raise their hand, intervene, or post a comment at the same time or ahead of  their peers? I found it challenging because I noted many students that need those accommodations really don't like to use them, and instead, they struggle to cope with the course load at the same rhythm than their peers. I think this can generate frustration and additional stress but not sure how to assess it when I cannot see facial expressions or reactions during an online session.
.-Patricia M.

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Work accessibility into course design from the get go moving forward

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Work accessibility into course design from the get go moving forward

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This overview of accessibility issues and resources made me think about the importance of designing courses to be accessible from the start. The pandemic has incentivized rethinking online and remote education and its challenges and I believe these reflections should also permeate into standard practices of course design even for in-person and blended models. Arguably, it may be even easier to build accessibility into remote learning now with the available resources for this effect compared to in-person instruction models. Plus, the added benefit of facilitating asynchronous learning which also helps many students. I expect that most courses may see an increment of online material and/or remote assignments, and these ought to be developed with accessibility in mind. Access to technology is an issue though, but it may be at least partially alleviated by lending equipment to students and/or mailing physical course materials adapted to their accessibility needs (or lack thereof).

Juan Moreira-Hernandez