Confessions of an ID: accessibility for all of our (dis)abilities
Why is it, that when we think of accessibility, we think digital and disability? But, is this too narrow?
Maybe its because of the how it is presented; let's take a look...
Definition 1: Accessibility relates to how a disabled individual uses something. ...all government websites are accessible to disabled users (usabilty.gov, 2013)
Or...
Definition 2: The quality or characteristic of something that makes it possible to approach, enter, or use it. (Cambridge Dictionary, 2017)
Getting closer...
Definition 3: Extent to which a consumer or user can obtain a good or service at the time it is needed. (Business Dictionary, 2017)
Perhaps it is because Universal Design for Learning (UDL) originated from Universal Design (UD), a concept derived from the architectural and building industries during the 1981 International Year of Disabled Persons (Ashman, 2015). However, other than the link to this event, UD isn't restricted to by any one focus, rather its entire underlying principal is based on the belief that 'buildings be designed so that they're accessible to everyone' Ashman, 2015, p. 18).
Nesmith (2016, 04:00) provocatively argues that we all have a disability... maybe we are pregnant, have a broken arm, are a little older, are still a child, feel the cold more than someone else, struggle to get motivated, and so on, we all have individual needs despite which we must navigate our world.
So, what if we looked at accessibility with more breadth, and create our own definition...
Learning is accessible if it is designed so that it is available and usable by all learners.
In this way, we can be innovative learning designers, considering all possible barriers to our learning solutions, and make them accessible through universal design. But that's a lot to consider... Maybe, lets have a look at the three key areas where barriers to learning might arise...
Ok, so we have three areas where we can focus our attention so that we can identify the best instructional strategies to employ so that we can develop innovative and accessible learning solutions. Approaches will be limitless and varied among all educators however, here are a few tips which by tomorrow maybe outdated because innovation is always mobile.
Helpful questions to ask
When designing learning for accessibility ask:
- Who is my learner?
- What do they know already and what do they need to know?
- What is likely to get in the way of their learning and how can we get around that?
Wrapping up
Ok, well I'm done for the moment, but I'm sure this isn't finished, accessibility is important and I'm happy for this to start more conversations. Happy designing! :-)
If you would like to know more about:
- Accessibility for culture and literacy diversity, take a look at: Confessions of an ID: literacy diversity and UDL for accessibility
- Accessibility for gender diversity, take a look at: Confessions of an ID: gender, inclusion and UDL
- Accessibility for online learning: Confessions of an ID: accessibility, storyline and me
References:
- Ashman, A. (Ed.) (2015). Education for Inclusion and Diversity (5th ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Pearson Australia.
- Business Dictionary. (2017). accessibility. Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/accessibility.html
- Cambridge Dictionary. (2017). accessibility. Retrieved from http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/accessibility
- Nesmith, M. (2016). Why We Need Universal Design [Video]. TEDx Talks (Eds.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVdPNWMGyZY
- ussability.gov. (2013). Usability and Accessibility: Looking at User Experience through Two Lenses. Retrieved from https://www.usability.gov/get-involved/blog/2013/01/accessibility-and-usability.html