Universal Design - Making Education Accessible for All

Universal design in education is ensuring that learning is accessible to all in the environment, despite individual differences or demands.  This creates an inclusive environment for all.  Though this, classrooms are created "in which our day-to-day efforts no longer assume that a particular text, activity, or teaching mode will “work” to support any particular students’ learning” (Ferguson, 1995)

The Ontario Ministry of Education, though their Equity and Inclusive Education in Ontario Schools document, define four key areas to ensure success for all Ontario students:

• Achieving excellence: Children and students of all ages will achieve high levels of academic performance, acquire valuable skills, and demonstrate good citizenship. Educators will be supported in learning continuously and will be recognized as among the best in the world.
  
• Ensuring equity: All children and students will be inspired to reach their full potential, with access to rich learning experiences that begin at birth and continue into adulthood.
  
• Promoting well-being: All children and students will develop enhanced mental and physical health, a positive sense of self and belonging, and the skills to make positive choices.
  
• Enhancing public confidence: Ontarians will continue to have confidence in a publicly funded education system that helps develop new generations of confident, capable, and caring citizens. 

Who would profit in this ableist situation?

The goal through this strategy is to avoid a situation known as Ableism.  Ableism is defined as a society that treats the general perception of non-disabled individuals as the "benchmark" that all society should strive towards.  Some ways in which an ableist society perceives education is that individuals should work towards being able to do such things as read print rather than braille, be able to spell without the use of a spell-checker or have groups where able-bodies individuals and disabled individuals only socialize within their perceived groups. (Hehir, 2008)

This approach when applied to education completely goes against the goals set forth by the Ministry.  All students should have access to education and should be supported regardless of their needs.  Not only is it just morally wrong, discrimination against any student is regarded as a violation of Ontario's Human Rights Code.

In Ontario schools, Policy Program Memorandum (PPM) 119, Developing and Implementing Equity and Inclusive Education Policies in Ontario Schools is structured to inform educators that any discrimination of any kind is prohibited in Ontario schools through the Ontario Human Rights Code.  Any discrimination based on race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, and class will not be tolerated either by educator to student, or student to student.  The hope is by improving service to all students, three goals shall be achieved: higher levels of achievement; reduced gaps in student achievement; and increased public confidence in public education.

How is this achieved?  In the realm of ICT, we have an opportunity to help all students with their time in school.  Assistive technology has come a long way since the time I was in school.  Students, and often teacher, sometimes may not understand how their personal devices (iPods, iPads, laptops...) can help with their education.  For everything that is done in class, there is an assisstive technology available for them.

Just a few of the assistive
technologies available

In my school, we often use the iPads with students to aid in their learning.  The books that we have for class study are also all available digitally on the iPads.  Students are able to zoom into the text, have the iPad read aloud the highlighted text on the screen, or just listen to the audiobook version loaded through iTunes.  For our students who are English Language Learners, we have pens available that can highlight text and provide a definition of the word.  For other students, we have other technologies as well such as dictation programs that work from speech to text, projectors in classrooms to provide images or text on the board to go along with instruction, alternative methods to print work based on vision, and more options for students to use technology if its needed.

Recently, EQAO has begun the transition to using electronic methods for the delivery of the OSSLT.  Currently, there are various ways in which the OSSLT is provided for students with disabilities.  Sometimes it could be extra time, having a scribe, reading the questions aloud or having large print books.  In coming years, the test will shift to an electronic version to provide better accessibility for all.

We as educators in ICT need to recognize that students all have their own needs that have to be addressed to.  It is our legal and moral rights to ensure they have success regardless of need for success in school and after.