[blindkid] Defining the Term ³Accessible² in the Digital Education Era

[DrV]

Hi All,
Education is moving more & more into the digital realm.
Students of all ages are being asked or required to access teacher websites,
web-based calendars, and are being directed to watch on-line videos clips,
download assignments, upload assignments, or perhaps blog.
Some districts have adopted digital textbooks, other are seriously planning
to do so.
Some students are being expected to do on-line drills.
An increasing number of students are starting to be tested using on-line
quizzes & tests, including for math & foreign languages.
Many school districts are creating Technology Departments & Committees to
address & some are trying to standardize their districts digital education
needs & operation.
A student¹s performance & grade is increasingly being assessed based on
their digital performance.
There are many tools young blind & low vision students can use to access
what they need.
What information is ³visible² on a given website can vary depending on the
tool used to access it; the same website may look very different to a
student using a Braille Notaker vs iphone vs ipad vs laptop with JAWS vs a
Mac laptop.
This is no longer an issue just for students at the upper grade levels, but
also in the early education years down to kindergarten & preschool.
As parents, vi professionals, & students interact with classroom teachers &
with school districts they need to figure out how accessible things are.
This is not an academic or philosophical question, but rather a very real
issue.
Given the spectrum of tools & age groups pre-k through grad school, has
anyone come across an accepted working definition of what ³accessible² now
means?
I look forward to your thoughts, insights & discussion.
Respectfully,
EricV