At the beginning of the 3rd year of teaching, I had my first daughter. She was born in July, so we spent many days outside just walking. Well, I walked, and she was in the stroller. I loved our time together. I remember one particular day when I was extra sleepy and needed some caffeine. We walked to the Starbucks right down the street from our condo in the West Loop. This particular coffee shop was always very busy. As I approached, I remembered there was a step up and I was wondering how I was going to maneuver with the stroller. But I have gone on and off curbs with ease so, no biggie. But then, the door. The big, heavy, glass door that was hard to open. I realized there was no push-to-open-activation switch. I must have looked ridiculous trying to go up a step, open the door, hold on to the stroller, and walk inside. Once I got in no problem. I ordered. I left. But now I had hot coffee. Without too many details, it wasn’t easy or pretty. I did get out of the store with my baby and a full coffee. How could they not have a door opener? How could a very popular and well-known business not have this very simple technology? I thought of other moms. What if they had a double stroller? Then I thought of people in wheelchairs. How could they get up the steps and open the door? This was, and still is, a real problem.
I can only imagine what it is like being a differently abled person, navigating a world that wasn’t tailored to you. Now that a lot of our lives are online and digital, this world expands to technology as well. TVs, tablets, computers, phones, and every kind of screen is embedded into our lives. I think about my students who struggle in class and have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and how they overcome the obstacles of their education. All schools built today have push-to-open-activation doors, ramps and elevators, and wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, however, what about the students who have non-apparent disabilities. Non-apparent disabilities include students with hearing loss, sensory and processing difficulties, or visual impairments. As well as mental health conditions including anxiety. Those are just a few.
When I was a classroom teacher, I loved making learning accessible to everyone. Most of the work could be accessed in several ways: seeing, listening, and doing. A lot of end-of-unit projects could be turned in by different avenues as well including writing paper, doing a project like a poster or shadow box, or a digital slide deck or video. This allowed all students a way to present their learning in the style that worked for them. Now I am a 1 on 1 paraprofessional at my school. I work with students who have IEPs however, but none of my students have digital accommodations built into their IEPs pertaining to technology. While I was learning about technology accessibility at my school, I found that most of the accessibility features on student Chromebooks have been disabled. I fear this is because a lot of students either play with the tools instead of working, or they mess with other settings and the Chromebook needs resetting. Except for the mouse highlight and enlarger, everything else was not available. I assume if a student needs these accommodations, they would be made available. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to use a recording device on the student account, so I had to log in as a teacher and I believe the settings are a little different. I am an Apple user and have not explored a Chromebook further than its surface use. I enjoyed learning about assistive technology that is built in with the Google Chromebook. I could definitely learn more about how to implement it more efficiently for the students who need it instead of it being disabled for everyone.
Watch the video below as I explore the accessibility on a Chromebook.
I can only imagine what it is like being a differently abled person, navigating a world that wasn’t tailored to you. Now that a lot of our lives are online and digital, this world expands to technology as well. TVs, tablets, computers, phones, and every kind of screen is embedded into our lives. I think about my students who struggle in class and have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and how they overcome the obstacles of their education. All schools built today have push-to-open-activation doors, ramps and elevators, and wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, however, what about the students who have non-apparent disabilities. Non-apparent disabilities include students with hearing loss, sensory and processing difficulties, or visual impairments. As well as mental health conditions including anxiety. Those are just a few.
When I was a classroom teacher, I loved making learning accessible to everyone. Most of the work could be accessed in several ways: seeing, listening, and doing. A lot of end-of-unit projects could be turned in by different avenues as well including writing paper, doing a project like a poster or shadow box, or a digital slide deck or video. This allowed all students a way to present their learning in the style that worked for them. Now I am a 1 on 1 paraprofessional at my school. I work with students who have IEPs however, but none of my students have digital accommodations built into their IEPs pertaining to technology. While I was learning about technology accessibility at my school, I found that most of the accessibility features on student Chromebooks have been disabled. I fear this is because a lot of students either play with the tools instead of working, or they mess with other settings and the Chromebook needs resetting. Except for the mouse highlight and enlarger, everything else was not available. I assume if a student needs these accommodations, they would be made available. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to use a recording device on the student account, so I had to log in as a teacher and I believe the settings are a little different. I am an Apple user and have not explored a Chromebook further than its surface use. I enjoyed learning about assistive technology that is built in with the Google Chromebook. I could definitely learn more about how to implement it more efficiently for the students who need it instead of it being disabled for everyone.
Watch the video below as I explore the accessibility on a Chromebook.
One accessibility tool that I love is the ability to turn the temperature of the screen from cool tones to more warmer tones. I have very light-sensitive eyes and the blue light from screens can make my eyes water quickly, even with my glasses on. In addition, the ability to make the text larger. 
Sometimes my eyes are tired and need to see larger fonts. It is also nice to be able to make it smaller again. Do you have an accessible feature you use often?
Also, check out these 2 resources. "Google Tools for Special Needs" has 7 pages of Google and Chrome Web App and Extensions. Along with Gmail shortcuts plus YouTube and Android accessibility features. The "Accessibility Feature Matching Chart" has guides and settings for accommodations for communication, hearing, vision, writing, and several more. This doc breaks down what settings to use for macOS, Chrome OS, and more.
Also, check out these 2 resources. "Google Tools for Special Needs" has 7 pages of Google and Chrome Web App and Extensions. Along with Gmail shortcuts plus YouTube and Android accessibility features. The "Accessibility Feature Matching Chart" has guides and settings for accommodations for communication, hearing, vision, writing, and several more. This doc breaks down what settings to use for macOS, Chrome OS, and more.
by - Eric Curts
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| Image source: Google Tools for Special Needs |
Curated and updated by the Boston Public Schools Technology and Assistive Technology Teams.
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| Image source: AT Feature Comparison Chart |
This was a great reflection. Often we don't think about issues that don't affect us until we are in a situation that requires them to. Your Starbucks story is one that is practical and I'm sure others can relate to. Thank you for the screencast! I don't use a Chromebook often so having the ability to watch and see where these features were was helpful. Getting extensions installed isn't a hurdle for just you! I know of many schools that lock these down...
ReplyDeleteHi Emily, I really appreciate your Starbucks story, as I think a lot of people do take accommodations for granted and sometimes the lack of can unfortunately go unnoticed. I had an EIP in school and when I got a Chromebook in high school I remember how hard it was for me to try and figure out the features that worked best for me, so it is really great that you took the time to figure out the accessibility features available.
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