Breaking Barriers in Education: Understanding and Combating Academic Ableism

Some fantastic examples of what can be done with Book Creator by teachers or students in the special education classroom.

Special education books

Antique paper texture

Blackboard Ally Alternative Formats (Free) Online Generator

As schools move to fully online learning, the <a href="https://ally.ac/covid19/">File Transformer</a> helps you to personalize your learning experience by converting your course files into alternative formats that fit your needs, devices, and learning preferences.

Dark wood

What can you do to combat Academic Ableism?

1. It's important to be aware of your own expectations and unconscious biases when it comes to the disabled community. 

I'm not your inspiration, thank you very much | Stella Young

<a href="https://youtu.be/8K9Gg164Bsw">Expectations video link</a>

"Disability is a natural part of the human experience. There's no singular experience of what it means to be disabled, and there's certainly nothing inherently bad or shameful about being disabled or having a disability. So the words disabled or disability? Use them. They are not bad words."- <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/02/18/1081713756/disability-disabled-people-offensive-better-word">Emily Ladau.</a>

Normalize the word disabled and the subject of disability by including it in your coversations.

Navy zig-zag pattern

2. <a href="https://www.understood.org/articles/understanding-universal-design-for-learning"> Provide materials in multiple formats.</a> 3.     <a href="https://askearn.org/page/people-first-language#:~:text=Person%20first%20language%20emphasizes%20the,is%20equally%20appropriate%20depending%20on">Use inclusive language</a>. : Avoid using <a href="https://www.cdrnys.org/blog/disability-dialogue/the-disability-dialogue-4-disability-euphemisms-that-need-to-bite-the-dust">Euphemisms</a> 4.     Create Flexible assignments

5.     Incorporate <a href="https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl">Universal Design for Learning</a> (UDL) practices: This involves creating flexible learning pathways, providing multiple modes of representation, and promoting student engagement and motivation.

UDL At A Glance

<a href="https://youtu.be/bDvKnY0g6e4">UDL at a glance video link</a>

6.     Listen to students' lived experience and work with them.

Two tools you can use for creating transcripts.

<a href="https://webcaptioner.com/">Web Captioner</a>: Web Captioner is a web-based tool that allows you to create instant captions/transcripts by simply using a mic. You can choose the language you want the transcript to be in and you can save any transcript as a text file or word file. You can even have another tab opened in your browser and the captioning will still be going on!

You could also use a tool called <a href="https://dictation.io/">Dictate.io</a> to create your descriptive transcript. You can share transcripts via social media, as a link or save it as a file.

Pop art yellow

"I wish my professors would stop questioning my accommodations. I am not trying to 'milk the system'. I know I am responsible for completing the work. That is expected in college. But it is exhausting feeling like I have to justify my right to reasonable accommodations."

"I really wish my professors would stop seeing my disability and need for accommodations as an inconvenience to them. I have enough to deal with without their judgment."

<a href="https://bingobaker.com/view/3262606">Examples of Academic Ableism Bingo Card</a> (card generated by Disabled students based on their experiences)

As you create, use the built-in accessibility checkers.

Many EdTech products have built-in accessibility checkers.The accessibility checkers checks your documents and provides feedback on how to change any errors to make the document more accessible.

<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/improve-accessibility-with-the-accessibility-checker-a16f6de0-2f39-4a2b-8bd8-5ad801426c7f?ui=en-us&amp;rs=en-us&amp;ad=us">Office 365 Accessibility Checker</a>

If you use Google Suite ( Docs, Sheets, Slides), you can use an add-on called <a href="https://www.grackledocs.com/how-to-install/">Grackle.</a>

<a href="https://ericsilva.me/blackboard/learn/using-the-accessibility-checker-in-the-new-blackboard-content-editor/">Blackboard Learn</a> <a href="https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-use-the-Accessibility-Checker-in-the-Rich-Content/ta-p/820">Canvas</a> <a href="https://community.brightspace.com/s/article/Brightspace-Accessibility-Checker">D2l(Brightspace)</a> <a href="https://cdl.ucf.edu/teach/accessibility/udoit/">Universal Design Online Content Inspection Tool (UDOIT)</a>

The <a href="https://dcmp.org/topics">Described and Captioned Media library </a>has thousands of captioned, audio described educational videos available for those who qualify.

<a href="https://dcmp.org/learn/384-browse-for-dcmp-media">Browse for DCMP Media</a>

<a href="https://dcmp.org/media/11352-understanding-the-iep-process-the-basics-of-an-etr">Example of DCMP video</a>

The Described and Captioned Media Program is the nation’s leading source of accessible educational videos. Families and school personnel with at least one early learner—Grade 12 student with a disability can <a href="https://dcmp.org/signup">register</a> for free access to <a href="https://dcmp.org/topics">thousands of videos</a>. DCMP also provides <a href="https://dcmp.org/learn">media accessibility information</a>, guidelines for <a href="https://dcmp.org/learn/captioningkey">captioning</a> and <a href="https://dcmp.org/learn/descriptionkey">describing</a> media, and <a href="https://dcmp.org/elearning">eLearning resources</a> for professional development.

https://api.bookcreator.com/users/v2/FI1jKsDURCdlFqjcModc0FUoN8U2/books/kmUtUqwKTiK2RiqPfoQ4HA/assets/_jHhrjSbSESiU5kvlh5Fhg.jpg?width=1030&height=769

EdTech Tools for creating more accessible content

wvelez-torres@coppin.edu <a href="https://twitter.com/Tech_snacks?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">@Tech_snacks</a>

Misc texture 2

Introduce your students/organization to <a href="https://www.bookshare.org/cms/">Bookshare</a>

Bookshare® is an ebook library that makes reading easier. Members can access a huge collection of ebooks and read their way with the most customizable ebooks for people with reading barriers.  The library has 1,094,700 titles and is the most extensive collection of accessible ebooks in the world. It includes books for school, career, and reading pleasure, as well as titles in over 34 languages.

<a href="https://youtu.be/w4M7P0qomIo">Video link</a>

Read Your Way with Bookshare

Bookshare® is FREE for qualified U.S. students of any age and schools through an award from OSEP (Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education). People with qualifying conditions who are not U.S. students, and organizations serving them, pay a low membership fee.

Customized Reading Customize your reading experience with ebooks in audio, audio + highlighted text, braille, large font, and other formats.

Chalkboard

Examples of Academic Ableism

-Inaccessible learning environments -Limited accommodations -Stereotyping -Lack of representation -Unconscious bias -Limited curriculum -Inflexibility

Cartoon shows a bird, monkey ,penguin ,elephant, a fish in a bowl, seal and a dog. The instructor is outside sitting at a desk. The instructor says "For a fair selection everybody has to take the same exam: Please climb that tree.

Have a discussion about the Accessibility features of electronic devices.

Many electronic devices have built-in accessibility features in their products. As such, banning the use of such electronic devices can be very <a href="https://www.educause.edu/ecar/research-publications/ecar-study-of-undergraduate-students-and-information-technology/2018/experiences-with-instructors-and-technology">problematic for students.</a>

Cartoon showing students on cell phone and the teacher saying "Sorry class. This is now a cellphone free zone."

" Allowing only students who have documented disabilities the use of digital devices can draw unwanted attention from their peers, effectively identifying them as having a learning need they are entitled to keep private."-<a href="https://www.educause.edu/ecar/research-publications/ecar-study-of-undergraduate-students-and-information-technology/2018/experiences-with-instructors-and-technology#82ae659656c342f4954d987b043ba981">EDUCAUSE ECAR 2018 report</a>

"I try to refrain using my accommodations because sometimes trying to utilize my accommodations are not worth the headache of backlash from the professor. "

<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTJzPxsOqLCqLsHZD-v_MaXy3kRBmO8QSnbIflK4_2Yk46d3SLmjmduix6awAnIEZU6syWXX544d0t2/pub">Student 1 transcript</a>

"In order to get accepted into a university, and especially the one that I wanted to go to, you had to take rigorous courses in high school to get accepted to the university. My high school kept wanting to put me in introductory-level classes (e.g., intro to geometry) because they thought I would not be able to keep up with the curriculum in the regular classes (e.g., geometry)."

<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSRdRZsFkt1kXkrWZKc44lKd7hsUdq_rl-bzSNHxeGDRH3PU82kDVrO4jlkE2arFKSL6gUGFPnlBZ6Z/pub">Student 2 transcript</a>

"I think collaboration is key. Students, professors, and accessibility services should work together to figure out what accommodations the student may need. It is important that you do not assume what a student needs. I recommend asking first. "

<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQJeaKsoF3WmudRb6_HEUaS3fRAHc_QDKf6fMouv9GiZ7VURxw7bgT-q7tPWoq1eiYU6xaS24g-nH1R/pub">Student 3 transcript</a>

'It’s genuinely hard to choose just one story of when I’ve experienced ableism on a university campus.  It’s been constant." "Academic accommodations make things slightly more tolerable, nothing more.  And the fact that universities push back so hard on requests for basic, easily accomplished accommodations simply tells disabled students - 'we don’t really want you here' ."

<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQghqGXLaHo-dEZ8g3WliNLOCPt6vd3WZPkcyWpDDeslRtj-RY-UKgAD_3DWxONNofb9WndloOrP9C5/pub">Student 4 transcript</a>

Academic Ableism presents a real barrier for students.

"Some examples of academic ableism include: -Not following an IEP, 504 Plan, or other disability accommodations -Providing inaccessible classroom materials -Using disability as a punchline or mocking people with disabilities -Talking about a person instead of directly to them, or speaking on their behalf -Questioning if a person is actually disabled" -<a href="https://veroniiiica.com/2021/03/01/tips-for-handling-academic-ableism-in-the-classroom/">Veronica Lewis</a>

By Wendy Torres Coppin State University Senior Instructional and Digital Accessibility Specialist Twitter Handle: <a href="https://twitter.com/tech_snacks">@Tech_snacks</a> E-mail: wvelez-torres@coppin.edu <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQHFZ_wC9X1AQy85D7sLQkCeuULTbSDnk2EdDUzUeXK2Ef0Z4tN3-vSEGVHkbagA4Y5s5wixsWujCip/pub">Text version of book</a>

Creative Commons License icon, give attribution, can't sell for commercial can remix

The barriers disabled students face is not their disability. It is ableism.

<a href="https://www.handtalk.me/en/blog/ableism/">Ableism</a> refers to discrimination, prejudice, or societal mistreatment of individuals with disabilities. It can manifest in various forms, including physical barriers, negative attitudes, and lack of accommodations or resources for those with disabilities. Ableism can also perpetuate stereotypes and harmful assumptions about individuals with disabilities, limiting their opportunities and quality of life.

<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendolynveleztorres">Wendy Torres</a> has been teaching for over 21 years and has a BA in Special Education and a Masters of Educational Leadership in Instructional Technology. She has taught at all levels from Kindergarten to Higher Ed. She is currently the Senior Instructional and Digital Accessibility Specialist, as well as an Adjunct Instructor for Coppin State University. She is part of the<a href="https://health.maryland.gov/newsroom/Pages/PHOTO-RELEASE-Maryland-becomes-Technology-First-State.aspx#:~:text=%E2%80%9CMaking%20Maryland%20a%20Technology%20First,DDA%20Deputy%20Secretary%20Bernard%20Simons"> Maryland Technology First committee.</a>

Wendy with her family. She has two children. One is an African American female who is holding up a high school diploma, She is wearing a white dress. Wendy is in the middle smiling wearing a blue dress. She is a Hispanic woman. Her son is to the right of her. He is an African American male who is ten.

Wendy is married with two kids.(Jasmine and Xavier)

Session Learning Objectives

1.Upon completion, participants will be able to identify at least 4 examples of academic ableism. 2.Upon completion, participants will be able to identify 4 strategies they can use to train Faculty members about best practices for avoiding academic ableism. 3.Upon completion, participants will be able to identify 4 assistive technology tools that they can use with students to make their content more accessible.

<a href="https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/2019/09/23/academic-ableism-fighting-for-accommodations-and-access-in-higher-education/">Academic Ableism: Fighting for Accommodations and Access in Higher Education</a>

Image used with permission from Jasmine and Xavier

image of Xavier looking exhausted. He is holding his head with his hands and. Around him is a calendar overlay that shows constant changes to his schedule that occurred while doing remote learning. There are images of things being crossed out. This constant changing caused stress for Xavier and when he would have meltdowns out of frustration because of this, his teachers would not understand why he couldn't deal with it. They said things like "we thought you were high functioning." Because of this Xavier has an exhausted, defeated look on his face.

Image of the book Academic Ableism by Jay Timothy Dolmage

https://api.bookcreator.com/users/v2/FI1jKsDURCdlFqjcModc0FUoN8U2/books/kmUtUqwKTiK2RiqPfoQ4HA/assets/f8RrIMJlR7OWGm6dlxjTzw.jpg?width=389&height=589

<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvr33d50">Academic Ableism: Disability and Higher Education (Open Access Version)</a>

Picture of Xavier age 10. He has a sad look on his face. Around him are ableist statements people have said about him or to him. "Don't you wish sometimes he was a normal kid? I don’t think I could ever be able to parent a child with a disability. You’re nothing like someone I know who is autistic. I totally couldn’t tell you had autism! You don’t look autistic. You are so brave and strong.  I will pray for you.  I am so sorry for you. Is that why you act weird? Maybe there is a cure for his condition….

https://api.bookcreator.com/users/v2/FI1jKsDURCdlFqjcModc0FUoN8U2/books/kmUtUqwKTiK2RiqPfoQ4HA/assets/bFbdWX1oRFSOqB10wTCIbA.jpg?width=980&height=724

Photo by Jasmine Obasogie shared with permisson from both Jasmine and Xavier

"Allowing a student with a hidden disability (ADHD, Anxiety, Dyslexia) to struggle academically or socially when all that is needed for success are appropriate accommodations and explicit instruction is no different than failing to provide a ramp for a person in a wheelchair." -Joe Becigneul, board chair at the Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools in Alberta, Canada

A cartoon drawing of a male and female sitting at a wheelchair accessible picnic table--the female is in a power chair. Text above the people, in white bubbles, reads "We should not have to feel surprise and gratitude when our access needs are met. But when you are so often excluded, these feelings become normal." At the bottom of the page are the words “Accessibility is a right, not a privilege.

image by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/walking.on.wheels/?hl=en">walking.on.wheels</a>

You may use this presentation: Under the following terms: •Attribution — You must give <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">appropriate credit</a>, provide a link to the license, and <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">indicate if changes were made</a>. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. •NonCommercial — You may not use the material for <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">commercial purposes</a>. •ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">same license</a> as the original.

Pop art blue

Many electronic devices have built- in accessibility/custom features in their products.

Check out the features of your electronic device and set your settings to meet your personal preference. This will help you look and receive content in a way that works for you. <a href="https://www.apple.com/accessibility/">Accessibility settings of Apple products</a> <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows?activetab=pivot_1:primaryr2">Accessibility settings for Windows Devices</a> <a href="https://support.google.com/accessibility/android/answer/6006564?hl=en">Accessibility settings of Android devices</a>

<a href="https://tinyurl.com/ATFeatures">https://tinyurl.com/ATFeatures </a>

Three free Text to Speech tools. Convert any text to an audio file.

<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/text-to-speech/id712104788">For iPads/iPhones</a>

<a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/any-text-to-voice-convert-text-to-speech-text-to-audio-mp3-for-free/9n92n3shd1mv?activetab=pivot:overviewtab&amp;ranMID=46194&amp;ranEAID=je6NUbpObpQ&amp;ranSiteID=je6NUbpObpQ-goOjcVkpYHclrWNV_jhTfw&amp;epi=je6NUbpObpQ-goOjcVkpYHclrWNV_jhTfw&amp;irgwc=1&amp;OCID=AID2000142_aff_7805_1243925&amp;tduid=%28ir__nxofv9bqtwkfqxwy0j1ncsypsu2xpicmlh2kgqhi00%29%287805%29%281243925%29%28je6NUbpObpQ-goOjcVkpYHclrWNV_jhTfw%29%28%29&amp;irclickid=_nxofv9bqtwkfqxwy0j1ncsypsu2xpicmlh2kgqhi00">For Windows Ten devices</a>

<a href="http://www.fromtexttospeech.com/">For any Browser</a>