First off, I think we all thoroughly enjoyed taking part in a Zoom class on the rainiest day in the history of Victoria (don’t factcheck that). We had an important discussion surrounding accessibility in technology and education. I think it’s integral for able-bodied and non-disabled folks to check that the content and resources they curate and provide to others, whether it be teachers, students, or otherwise, is accessible for those who are differently advantaged. Small things that we may not think about need to be considered to foster an inclusive environment for all people. This may be seen in alternative text on photos for the visually impaired who use text-to-speech software, or using acceptable contrast ratios for those who are partially visually impaired. The majority of us don’t have troubles with these sort of things but we have to include these things to includes those of us who do have difficulties seeing or hearing on websites for example. That said, it can be easy to forget to include these accessibility considerations, but those of us who are creating these things have to receptive to changing and adapting these things when issues arise.
As a few of our colleagues bravely shared their stories dealing with their own challenges with disabilities in the education system, I thought about how it’s not up to those who live with these challenges to make the change to include everyone; it’s up to those of us who are privileged enough to not deal with these daily challenges to open the door for change at a much more universal scale. This makes me think about our discussion in regards to equality versus equity. I hate hearing ignorant folks talk about how it’s not fair to make these accommodations to disadvantaged folks because it isn’t giving the same help to everyone. Equity is all about giving every student the same chance for success, regardless of what challenges they bring to the classroom, whether it be a physical, mental, or other disability. If we design buildings, classes, and our society more generally in a way that everyone can succeed together, then we don’t have to make these accommodations later on, and that is the goal of creating accessible, equitable education.
