[NABS-L] Accessibility of Learning Management Systems for K-12 students and parents

[Cricket X. Bidleman]

Dear all,

My journalism projects continue, and so do my incessant emails. I
realize that this might not apply to you, and for that I apologize.
However, as we all know, a lot of disability advocacy surrounds making
connections and using those connections.

So my canvas project didn’t work out, but I think I’ve figured out a
good angle for this story about learning management systems, which I
am not limiting to Canvas. Could be Schoology, Moodle, Blackboard, or
whatever else that classifies as a learning management system.
Disabled parents are facing huge hurdles to connecting with their
children through participating in education. As an example, my parents
were integral to my learning of multiplication tables, to my
understanding of shapes and graphs, etc. Learning management systems
and inaccessibility make it much harder for parents. Add the fact that
disabled parents cannot effectively teach their children, both
disabled and non-disabled, how to use technology that they don’t have
sufficient access to. This is not good. This is not an angle that
stories have been written from, but I think it might be a good one
because it dips into that emotional sphere that can be really
effective in gaining readership, and in advocacy work. Obviously,
since this is a feature story, I will be objective, but looking into
the long-term future, this article has potential to help organizations
like this one.

So basically, if you have any useful contacts, I would appreciate
being connected with them.  I know this is a strange approach, and I’d
love to hear your thoughts, but I really think I can make it work.
Love it? Hate it? Let me know.

Best,
cricket


-- 
Cricket X. Bidleman, B.A (she/her/hers)
M.A Candidate | Stanford Journalism Class of 2022
Accessibility Consultant | Stanford University Computer Science