Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
In the ed tech space, news abounds with accessibility headlines; see some news articles below. This might seem like an irrelevant topic, especially if you, like me, are of the privileged majority of people who have no limitations to accessing digital tools.
As digital accessibility deadlines loom, it may seem daunting to consider how to create accessible spaces for others when you don’t even know where to start.
My suggestion would be to simply take the top three things that you personally and professionally do with technology, and consider the accessibility possibilities within those. For example, these are my top three:
- Microsoft Windows: work
- Android: personal cell phone
- Web browser: Google Chrome for personal, Microsoft Edge for work
Almost all major tech companies include some information about how to enhance their devices’ or programs’ accessibility features. To get started, I recommend taking a few minutes to explore the different capabilities, play around and toggle the features to see firsthand how they work, and consider how these may help you or your students.
Below, I have shared some resources for my Top 3 as well as a few more common ones (i.e., Apple, Google) for iPhone or Google Suite users too. I even included one for WordPress and Google Sites, as I personally found it helpful to consider what changes I could make to this digital portfolio website to make it more accessible.
Accessibility Resources
- Android
- Apple
- Apple Education
- Google for Education
- Google Sites
- Microsoft Windows
- Web Browsers (all major ones)
- WordPress
Recent News on Digital Accessibility in Education
- Are Schools and Edtech Companies Ready for the Digital Accessibility Deadline?
- Ensuring Digital Accessibility in K-12 Schools in a Technology-Driven Era
- Meeting the needs of all students with accessibility tools for the classroom
- Micro Assist – Digital Accessibility Digest
- New Digital Accessibility Rule for Public Schools, Community Colleges, and Public Universities
- …and more!
Comment below to share some additional resources, news articles, thoughts, questions, etc!