Accessibility Issues
Students with Cognitive Difficulties
My first suggestion is for students to do what I had to do. I did not know I was creating adaptations for myself until I was getting my teaching credential, and got tested for a learning disability. I wanted to know what students had to go through to qualify for help by someone in the school community, so I went through the testing. I was not surprised to learn that I had a reading disability. Words started moving for me when I was in graduate school in 1992 or 93. Up to that point, I only had to deal with the double vision. Having words move made it virtually impossible to read. This is one of the reasons I left the Ph D program. I was losing my mind. To learn in 1998 that, indeed, I was losing parts of my brain finally gave me an explanation for all of the wacky stuff my vision had been doing for the previous eight years.
My double vision started in 1990, and as I’m sure you can imagine, it was difficult to focus on my work. In case you have not figured it out, I was obsessed with school, and did whatever I could to jump through the “hoop of the day”. Being a science major, this meant I had to memorize lots of words and chemical processes. I don’t remember exactly when I moved toward the flashcard obsession. I know my freshman professors recommended using them to study. It got to the point in college that I did not take a class without making hundreds of flash cards. I would drill myself continuously, especially if there was a 5 minute break where I could sneak in a few cards. My obsession included geting good grades, thus the obsession with memorizing everything I had to know. I did not go to college to be a teacher; I went to become a scientist. I do not regret the studying techniques I used because I really did learn the material, which only proved to be an asset as a teacher. OK, so my first adaptation for myself was doing flash cards for any tidbit of information that had to get squished in my brain.
Along with my vision disabilities, were concentration ones. Who knows why I can focus some times, but not at other times? Since so much of college learning is through lecture, I had to train myself to take notes. As I learned about learning styles, I’ve decided I’m a kinesthetic learner because the physical act of writing notes as my professors spoke, got the words into my head. I think I was the best note taker among my friends, and of course I was generous with sharing my notes with others. I did not learn until I went to Davis, that I was supposed to share the wrong notes with others, but that is a completely different conversation. I just have to say the academic atmosphere at UC Davis is vastly different than the one at Virginia Tech. I learned in college that if I was going to remember anything being said to me, I would have to write it down. I don’t always have to reread what I wrote because the act of writing would get it in my head. To concentrate on what I was hearing made it more possible for me to acquire the information.
Writing seemed to be key to getting information into my head. There are two more things I do to file information: redraw diagrams and list terms alphabetically. Both of these were done on large 14” x 18” paper (or something like that). Of course with all the moves I’ve done in the last 20 years, my notepads are not easily found so I can’t look up what the exact size was. Redrawing diagrams was also something suggested by a professor at Tech. In time, I’ve taken better ownership of the diagrams, and will actually think about what I’m drawing, instead of merely being a puppet who copies the publishers’ ideas. It has taken me a long time to trust myself to sway away from doing exactly what I was told or shown to do. My drawings were done with colored pencils, color coding anything that could be done that way. As an undergrad I made posters of amino acids, and put them on the wall in my dorm room, drew out reaction series for biochem or organic chemistry, or drew cycles of things happening in biology. In graduate school, I had to go back to this method during the mycology course because I had to learn the life cycles of various fungi. I was terrified of that class because fungal genetics are incredibly complicated. Drawing out their life and reproductive cycles made it possible for me to start to understand what fungi do.
One of my reading challenges is not fully seeing what a word says. I wish I could stop doing this, but much of the time when I read, I see the first letter and the length of the word- my mind fills in the rest. Maybe this is how other people read, but it is a really bad method to follow if you study subjects that have words like “transcription” and “translation” being discussed at nearly the same time. I actually had a professor practically yell at me to learn the difference between the words, so I could use them correctly. I don't remember when I started making word lists or vocabulary lists alphabetically, so I could literally see the words next to each other, and therefore notice the differences. Unfortunately this problem continued as a teacher, and I found myself calling students the wrong names all of the time. I tried explaining it to them that it was a learning challenge I have, and fortunately many were forgiving. What I do is call someone a name that starts with the same letter and is about the same length. I will also do this as a “typo” when writing lessons sometimes. One day I just could not stop saying “silver” when I meant to say “sodium”. They don't even have the same number of syllables. That was not a fun moment for me. When I take a language class, I have to do the same thing- put all the words that start with the same letter of the alphabet next to each other so I can see the differences.
One of my more recent cognitive challenges is having words go “poof”. I don't know what type of disorder this is called, but I have a hard time putting words on objects. I see the object clearly, but can’t recall the word that goes with it. My acupuncture doctor recommended a specific fatty acid supplement that amazingly helps, when I remember to take it. I know what it feels like to have words disappear. I know what it feels like to have a void. I have not figured out how to stop this from happening. I do not have an adaptation for this yet. I do know, though, that when I had a student with the same problem, I would happily explain things to her over and over, hoping that at some point something would stick. I think the act of writing, for me, is the way to counteract the cognitive challenges I can identify.
Technology enhanced strategies:
· Provide computer equipment so the student can take notes. Provide software so student can make mind maps, if needed.
· Provide recording equipment so lectures can be recorded and played back at a later time.
My first suggestion is for students to do what I had to do. I did not know I was creating adaptations for myself until I was getting my teaching credential, and got tested for a learning disability. I wanted to know what students had to go through to qualify for help by someone in the school community, so I went through the testing. I was not surprised to learn that I had a reading disability. Words started moving for me when I was in graduate school in 1992 or 93. Up to that point, I only had to deal with the double vision. Having words move made it virtually impossible to read. This is one of the reasons I left the Ph D program. I was losing my mind. To learn in 1998 that, indeed, I was losing parts of my brain finally gave me an explanation for all of the wacky stuff my vision had been doing for the previous eight years.
My double vision started in 1990, and as I’m sure you can imagine, it was difficult to focus on my work. In case you have not figured it out, I was obsessed with school, and did whatever I could to jump through the “hoop of the day”. Being a science major, this meant I had to memorize lots of words and chemical processes. I don’t remember exactly when I moved toward the flashcard obsession. I know my freshman professors recommended using them to study. It got to the point in college that I did not take a class without making hundreds of flash cards. I would drill myself continuously, especially if there was a 5 minute break where I could sneak in a few cards. My obsession included geting good grades, thus the obsession with memorizing everything I had to know. I did not go to college to be a teacher; I went to become a scientist. I do not regret the studying techniques I used because I really did learn the material, which only proved to be an asset as a teacher. OK, so my first adaptation for myself was doing flash cards for any tidbit of information that had to get squished in my brain.
Along with my vision disabilities, were concentration ones. Who knows why I can focus some times, but not at other times? Since so much of college learning is through lecture, I had to train myself to take notes. As I learned about learning styles, I’ve decided I’m a kinesthetic learner because the physical act of writing notes as my professors spoke, got the words into my head. I think I was the best note taker among my friends, and of course I was generous with sharing my notes with others. I did not learn until I went to Davis, that I was supposed to share the wrong notes with others, but that is a completely different conversation. I just have to say the academic atmosphere at UC Davis is vastly different than the one at Virginia Tech. I learned in college that if I was going to remember anything being said to me, I would have to write it down. I don’t always have to reread what I wrote because the act of writing would get it in my head. To concentrate on what I was hearing made it more possible for me to acquire the information.
Writing seemed to be key to getting information into my head. There are two more things I do to file information: redraw diagrams and list terms alphabetically. Both of these were done on large 14” x 18” paper (or something like that). Of course with all the moves I’ve done in the last 20 years, my notepads are not easily found so I can’t look up what the exact size was. Redrawing diagrams was also something suggested by a professor at Tech. In time, I’ve taken better ownership of the diagrams, and will actually think about what I’m drawing, instead of merely being a puppet who copies the publishers’ ideas. It has taken me a long time to trust myself to sway away from doing exactly what I was told or shown to do. My drawings were done with colored pencils, color coding anything that could be done that way. As an undergrad I made posters of amino acids, and put them on the wall in my dorm room, drew out reaction series for biochem or organic chemistry, or drew cycles of things happening in biology. In graduate school, I had to go back to this method during the mycology course because I had to learn the life cycles of various fungi. I was terrified of that class because fungal genetics are incredibly complicated. Drawing out their life and reproductive cycles made it possible for me to start to understand what fungi do.
One of my reading challenges is not fully seeing what a word says. I wish I could stop doing this, but much of the time when I read, I see the first letter and the length of the word- my mind fills in the rest. Maybe this is how other people read, but it is a really bad method to follow if you study subjects that have words like “transcription” and “translation” being discussed at nearly the same time. I actually had a professor practically yell at me to learn the difference between the words, so I could use them correctly. I don't remember when I started making word lists or vocabulary lists alphabetically, so I could literally see the words next to each other, and therefore notice the differences. Unfortunately this problem continued as a teacher, and I found myself calling students the wrong names all of the time. I tried explaining it to them that it was a learning challenge I have, and fortunately many were forgiving. What I do is call someone a name that starts with the same letter and is about the same length. I will also do this as a “typo” when writing lessons sometimes. One day I just could not stop saying “silver” when I meant to say “sodium”. They don't even have the same number of syllables. That was not a fun moment for me. When I take a language class, I have to do the same thing- put all the words that start with the same letter of the alphabet next to each other so I can see the differences.
One of my more recent cognitive challenges is having words go “poof”. I don't know what type of disorder this is called, but I have a hard time putting words on objects. I see the object clearly, but can’t recall the word that goes with it. My acupuncture doctor recommended a specific fatty acid supplement that amazingly helps, when I remember to take it. I know what it feels like to have words disappear. I know what it feels like to have a void. I have not figured out how to stop this from happening. I do not have an adaptation for this yet. I do know, though, that when I had a student with the same problem, I would happily explain things to her over and over, hoping that at some point something would stick. I think the act of writing, for me, is the way to counteract the cognitive challenges I can identify.
Technology enhanced strategies:
· Provide computer equipment so the student can take notes. Provide software so student can make mind maps, if needed.
· Provide recording equipment so lectures can be recorded and played back at a later time.
Students with Physical Difficulties
I just started having serious physical difficulties. It is because I use a walker and have to rely on ADA adjustments, that I am so vocal and opinionated about how poorly these adaptations have been executed in the real world. I even used a walker with wheels as a teacher. As far as anybody was concerned, giving me the key to the elevator was all the accommodation I needed at school. I have never taught anywhere where there has been a student with physical disabilities who did not have an aide with him/her at all times. Being an adult, nobody felt like they had to keep aisles clear for me to walk, like they would have for kids. Nobody would help me find a place to sit that was easy to get to with the walker, and with a spot for the walker. Our faculty meetings were held in a teacher’s classroom, and it obviously was not set up with spaces large enough for a walker to be used.
I have seen kids use rollators like I use, and my heart goes out to them. I don't want any child to have difficulties, and I know that to be using a rollator, s/he has to be having troubles with balance and/or walking. I would hope that if a student needed to use a rollator, the room would be set up in a way the student could participate and be a part of the class without the rollator being an issue. There should be someplace the rollator can sit, without it being a distraction. I don't know how others feel, but I hate having attention drawn to me because my accessibility equipment came to their attention, before my smiling face, excited attitude, or fascinating ideas. I am not my disability, but because I have at least one, I can’t play the role I was hoping to have in my adult life.
Students with physical disabilities need space to let their disability happen. Whether it is crutches to walk, a wheelchair to push, or braces on legs, students need the space to move from one spot to the other without it causing difficulties for them or their peers. Naturally table heights need to be appropriate and access to books and equipment need to be arranged so they are accessible without needing help to grab them, if possible. Everything that can be done to help the person with physical disabilities be autonomous and independent, should be done.
Technology enhanced strategies:
I just started having serious physical difficulties. It is because I use a walker and have to rely on ADA adjustments, that I am so vocal and opinionated about how poorly these adaptations have been executed in the real world. I even used a walker with wheels as a teacher. As far as anybody was concerned, giving me the key to the elevator was all the accommodation I needed at school. I have never taught anywhere where there has been a student with physical disabilities who did not have an aide with him/her at all times. Being an adult, nobody felt like they had to keep aisles clear for me to walk, like they would have for kids. Nobody would help me find a place to sit that was easy to get to with the walker, and with a spot for the walker. Our faculty meetings were held in a teacher’s classroom, and it obviously was not set up with spaces large enough for a walker to be used.
I have seen kids use rollators like I use, and my heart goes out to them. I don't want any child to have difficulties, and I know that to be using a rollator, s/he has to be having troubles with balance and/or walking. I would hope that if a student needed to use a rollator, the room would be set up in a way the student could participate and be a part of the class without the rollator being an issue. There should be someplace the rollator can sit, without it being a distraction. I don't know how others feel, but I hate having attention drawn to me because my accessibility equipment came to their attention, before my smiling face, excited attitude, or fascinating ideas. I am not my disability, but because I have at least one, I can’t play the role I was hoping to have in my adult life.
Students with physical disabilities need space to let their disability happen. Whether it is crutches to walk, a wheelchair to push, or braces on legs, students need the space to move from one spot to the other without it causing difficulties for them or their peers. Naturally table heights need to be appropriate and access to books and equipment need to be arranged so they are accessible without needing help to grab them, if possible. Everything that can be done to help the person with physical disabilities be autonomous and independent, should be done.
Technology enhanced strategies:
- In case it is not obvious, if a student can’t write or type, then software that allows for speech to text, like Dragon software, should be available.
- Ideally if a child needs to use a power wheelchair, that would already exist and be a part of their daily routine. I do not expect schools to provide power wheelchairs, however, we can provide space for the chair so the child is not isolated unnecessarily.
- Ergonomically adaptable equipment like mice that don't require full hand use, tablets that can be used as scrolling devices or mice, touch pad devices that substitute for mice, a screen reader that lets students decide if they want to go to a new page or follow a link
Students with Sensory Difficulties
I think technically, my vision problems are sensory issues. When I was first diagnosed with MS, my doctor thought my issues would merely be sensory: vision and numbness. I did not realize at that time that sensory could also lead to muscular issues. For example, I went numb from the waist-down in January, which led to several falls because I could not feel things. For this section, though, I think I'm supposed to focus on sensory issues like vision, hearing, and possibly feeling things or temperatures.
Technology enhanced strategies:
· If a student is blind, provide aural ways to acquire information. If the student is deaf, provide visual ways to acquire information. Something as simple as closed captioning can help people who have difficulty understanding what is being said in videos. I don't know about others, but I really can't stand how some instructors assume that videos are the best way to learn, but fail to speak clearly or loudly enough for their words to be heard. Relying on YouTube’s automatic captioning system is pathetic, because it really is not ready for the poor quality of speech it has to deal with. (I am also at fault for not captioning or including audio options with many of the lessons I put online. I admit this is one of my many flaws.)
· Provide textures. While this may sound strange, having textures or some sort of feedback to let someone know their location can be very helpful. The bumpy surfaces in curb cut-outs are to let people know they are about to go into the street.
I think technically, my vision problems are sensory issues. When I was first diagnosed with MS, my doctor thought my issues would merely be sensory: vision and numbness. I did not realize at that time that sensory could also lead to muscular issues. For example, I went numb from the waist-down in January, which led to several falls because I could not feel things. For this section, though, I think I'm supposed to focus on sensory issues like vision, hearing, and possibly feeling things or temperatures.
Technology enhanced strategies:
· If a student is blind, provide aural ways to acquire information. If the student is deaf, provide visual ways to acquire information. Something as simple as closed captioning can help people who have difficulty understanding what is being said in videos. I don't know about others, but I really can't stand how some instructors assume that videos are the best way to learn, but fail to speak clearly or loudly enough for their words to be heard. Relying on YouTube’s automatic captioning system is pathetic, because it really is not ready for the poor quality of speech it has to deal with. (I am also at fault for not captioning or including audio options with many of the lessons I put online. I admit this is one of my many flaws.)
· Provide textures. While this may sound strange, having textures or some sort of feedback to let someone know their location can be very helpful. The bumpy surfaces in curb cut-outs are to let people know they are about to go into the street.
At-Risk Students
Some disagree with my impression that all students are at-risk if there is even only one student in the classroom who may meet that designation. It is the “chain is only as strong as the weakest link” type of thinking.
I don’t know how important it is to use technology based products with at-risk students, merely because they are at-risk. I taught many students who lived at or below the poverty line, had neighbors (or parents) who did drugs, and some even had bullet holes in the front of their homes. For these kids, what mattered is that you did not keep any school based requirement away from them, or treat them like they were incapable of doing anything. I still required my students to do research online. I still required them to make websites and projects that involved the Internet or software. What matters is making the student feel empowered to be able to accomplish anything you ask him/her to do. I can tell you stories about students who learned they were successful, and were capable of going to college because of challenges I, and other teachers, gave our kids that required them to go beyond the idea of “I can’t” because… I’m poor, my parents are not at home, I did not eat this morning, we don't have a computer at home, or any other excuse you can imagine would fall into an at-risk category. You hold all students to high expectations, and teach them how to be capable, especially if anybody else is trying to tell them they are not. (Plus, you keep food around to feed them if they are hungry, and a set of clothes if they need something to wear. Enable them in ways to empower them, not to pity them.)
Technology enhanced strategies:
· Stay after school, in the computer lab, with students so they can ask you questions, and so you can help show them how to use the software or equipment. If the computer lab can only be open if a teacher is there, then volunteer to be the teacher that goes in the computer lab so students have access.
· Give assignments that require the use of free technology, especially Google apps. My kids were making websites with Google sites (or whatever it is/was called) in 2008. I had to sit with them and at the time, websites were still being made with grids. I showed them how they can make a website. It empowered many of them, so that when they did their senior projects, including a website was a piece of cake. At that time, the instructors for the senior projects were still using paper presentations, so having “my” kids make a website was fantastic. They felt empowered because many of them were doing something their teachers could not even do.
Some disagree with my impression that all students are at-risk if there is even only one student in the classroom who may meet that designation. It is the “chain is only as strong as the weakest link” type of thinking.
I don’t know how important it is to use technology based products with at-risk students, merely because they are at-risk. I taught many students who lived at or below the poverty line, had neighbors (or parents) who did drugs, and some even had bullet holes in the front of their homes. For these kids, what mattered is that you did not keep any school based requirement away from them, or treat them like they were incapable of doing anything. I still required my students to do research online. I still required them to make websites and projects that involved the Internet or software. What matters is making the student feel empowered to be able to accomplish anything you ask him/her to do. I can tell you stories about students who learned they were successful, and were capable of going to college because of challenges I, and other teachers, gave our kids that required them to go beyond the idea of “I can’t” because… I’m poor, my parents are not at home, I did not eat this morning, we don't have a computer at home, or any other excuse you can imagine would fall into an at-risk category. You hold all students to high expectations, and teach them how to be capable, especially if anybody else is trying to tell them they are not. (Plus, you keep food around to feed them if they are hungry, and a set of clothes if they need something to wear. Enable them in ways to empower them, not to pity them.)
Technology enhanced strategies:
· Stay after school, in the computer lab, with students so they can ask you questions, and so you can help show them how to use the software or equipment. If the computer lab can only be open if a teacher is there, then volunteer to be the teacher that goes in the computer lab so students have access.
· Give assignments that require the use of free technology, especially Google apps. My kids were making websites with Google sites (or whatever it is/was called) in 2008. I had to sit with them and at the time, websites were still being made with grids. I showed them how they can make a website. It empowered many of them, so that when they did their senior projects, including a website was a piece of cake. At that time, the instructors for the senior projects were still using paper presentations, so having “my” kids make a website was fantastic. They felt empowered because many of them were doing something their teachers could not even do.
Gifted and Talented Students
I was actually labelled as Gifted and Talented in high school. This meant that in biology class, I got extra assignments. It is unfortunate that I had to be labelled as GT to get these opportunities, because they were awesome, and there are probably some students who would have benefited from that type of "push". Technically I was put in the more accelerated English classes, and with math I was possibly a year ahead of students who were not GT. I was just happy to no longer be taking English classes that were only grammar based. I was finally in classes that read books. I loved math, until I let my trig and calculus teacher scare me. I was such a wimp. It is too bad I let myself listen to people who would tell me I could not do something. I'm not saying my trig/calc teacher did that- it was mainly peers who would say something was too hard, and for some idiotic reason, I listened to them and let it be a barrier for me, when it should not have been.
Today there are tons of things gifted students can do that involve technology. These things include:
· Making websites to explain things.
· Taking free courses online in a MOOC setting to supplement their curiosity.
· Taking low cost courses online through places like Udemy, to support independent learning.
· Playing games online that encourage problem solving or critical thinking.
· Taking community college courses online (when they are in high school). At least in CA, it should be free for high school kids. Worst case scenario, they pay $100 for a 3 credit class. (Hey, that is how I did my first certificate in online teaching, AND learned how to use Moodle.)
· Making presentations online using Google apps.
I was actually labelled as Gifted and Talented in high school. This meant that in biology class, I got extra assignments. It is unfortunate that I had to be labelled as GT to get these opportunities, because they were awesome, and there are probably some students who would have benefited from that type of "push". Technically I was put in the more accelerated English classes, and with math I was possibly a year ahead of students who were not GT. I was just happy to no longer be taking English classes that were only grammar based. I was finally in classes that read books. I loved math, until I let my trig and calculus teacher scare me. I was such a wimp. It is too bad I let myself listen to people who would tell me I could not do something. I'm not saying my trig/calc teacher did that- it was mainly peers who would say something was too hard, and for some idiotic reason, I listened to them and let it be a barrier for me, when it should not have been.
Today there are tons of things gifted students can do that involve technology. These things include:
· Making websites to explain things.
· Taking free courses online in a MOOC setting to supplement their curiosity.
· Taking low cost courses online through places like Udemy, to support independent learning.
· Playing games online that encourage problem solving or critical thinking.
· Taking community college courses online (when they are in high school). At least in CA, it should be free for high school kids. Worst case scenario, they pay $100 for a 3 credit class. (Hey, that is how I did my first certificate in online teaching, AND learned how to use Moodle.)
· Making presentations online using Google apps.
General suggestions for Technology Based adaptations:
- Make UDL second nature for you when you create anything that uses the Internet. This summer publication discusses UDL in the classroom. (My editorial is on page 10).
- If your LMS is Moodle, implement the "jump to" feature so students don't have to scroll unnecessarily. If you can't use a "jump to", then put in anchors to help people move down the page easily, if possible.
- Provide both audio and visual options for content.
- Open links that are off site in a new tab so that the student can stay on the lesson page if s/he chooses.
- Don't force items to be embedded in your webpages, especially if the embedding causes things to be cut off, or forces the user to scroll to see everything. If you have to embed, also provide a link that lets the user see the full size page. I don't even know if screen readers can effectively use embedded webpages.
- Don't use frames in your website. I know those were starting to be removed years ago, but they still cause problems when someone is trying to move within the website. (I know I have difficulties with websites that are in a frame.)
- Fill in your ALT tab with information.
- Follow HTML 4 or 5 rules that have been altered to better work with screen readers.
- If there is a way to make reading available in a format that lets screen readers read them, please do. I know that for many courses it is not possible to get "drm" free publications.
- Please don't force people to watch a presentation done in Prezi if they have vision issues. I know I get motion sick just about every time I watch a Prezi.