For learners with sensory impairments (vision, hearing, or
touch), tasks that we take for granted, or assign so easily to our students may
be nearly impossible for some. How is a student with a vision impairment
supposed to read an article printed in size 6 font? How is a student with a
hearing impairment supposed to listen to a podcast? Technology. This sentiment is echoed in a publication by the
University of Washington, “With appropriate computing tools and well- defined
strategies for their use, the person with a sensory impairment is able to
demonstrate and apply her knowledge,” (University of Washington, 2010).
If a student has electronic access to the file, they can use
enlargement or speech-to-text technology to access content just like their
peers. If it is the expectation that al materials are accessible on a teacher’s
website, then ANY student can access them. This is a rather intuitive
implementation of universal design as a way to teach diverse learners. I don’t
have any students with the sensory impairments defined above, but I am in the
practice of posting all my notes online. With this access, students can simply
go to my website, and zoom in on the attached pdf. They do not have this access
with a copy of the notes printed out in hard copy format.
While I was reading this article, and thinking about one of the
most powerful tools in high school math, the graphing calculator, and thinking
about how small the characters are on the TI-84 and TI-Nspire that I use in my
classroom. TI makes a calculator emulator http://education.ti.com/educationportal/sites/US/productDetail/us_smartview.html,
which is far superior to the free graphing calculators available online, and
consistent with the calculators that students are permitted to use on local and
high stakes exams. This product is not free however, and should without a doubt
be purchased for students with vision impairments. My school has purchased licenses
for each math teacher, but not for students. Having access (and the ability to
enlarge) the image or graph on their computer screen could help all students!
University of Washington. (2010).
Working Together: Computers and People with Sensory Impairments. Do-It Publications.
Like how you were able to bring in something so specific to your subject like the graphing calculator. I know that I would have never thought about its small buttons and displays unless someone else, like yourself, pointed it out.
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