How I use Minecraft to help kids with autism — from ted.com by Stuart Duncan; with thanks to Dr. Kate Christian for this resource
Description:
The internet can be an ugly place, but you won’t find bullies or trolls on Stuart Duncan’s Minecraft server, AutCraft. Designed for children with autism and their families, AutCraft creates a safe online environment for play and self-expression for kids who sometimes behave a bit differently than their peers (and who might be singled out elsewhere). Learn more about one of the best places on the internet with this heartwarming talk.
Below are two excerpted snapshots from Stuart’s presentation:
How to manage slow-working students in your classroom — from blog.neolms.com by Diana Z
Excerpt:
If you have slow-working students in your classroom and want to help them catch up and reach milestones, you should first make sure to rule out any possible psychological barriers that could affect their processing speed or other cognitive issues.
Next, you should devise an intervention scheme that is structured on the three A’s principle:
From DSC:
This is an important topic, because not everyone can work with the (often) fast pace of the current train. One of our daughters has experienced this first hand, and I continue to learn from/through her experience.
Can A New Online Learning Platform Improve Employment For Those With Visual Impairment? — from edsurge.com by Daniel Mollenkamp
Excerpt:
A workplace technology report from the American Foundation for the Blind, published this month, notes that many people who are blind, have low vision or are deafblind say that they experience difficulties with accessibility for workplace training.
According to researchers from the foundation, the participants in the study described problems with online trainings that were incompatible with screen-reading software or visual adjustments like changing the font size, with quizzes that didn’t work with a keyboard and with educational images and videos that weren’t verbally described.
Many of the participants say they needed to get help from a manager or coworker to complete mandatory training, the report notes, causing delays and feelings of exclusion.
Lawsuit Addressing Failures to Provide Course Materials to College Students with Disabilities May Head to Supreme Court — from accessibility.com by Daphne Wester
Excerpt:
Students with vision disabilities found themselves unable to participate in coursework in the Los Angeles Community College district when, as a rule of practice, necessary course materials like textbooks and syllabi were not provided in Braille or audio formats. Students, along with disability rights organizations, subsequently filed suit against one of the largest community college districts in the country in 2017, and in 2019 the case was decided in favor of the plaintiffs.
What’s new on the WCAG 3.0 working draft? (December 2021) — from uxdesign.cc by Daniel Berryhill
AGWG just released a new Working Draft for WCAG 3.0. Let’s see what’s new.
Excerpt:
While the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AGWG) is still working on getting WCAG 2.2 finalized, they are also working on the upcoming WCAG 3.0 standards.
[On December 7th, 2021], they released a new Working Draft of WCAG 3.0. We’ll go over the changes made from the previous Working Draft that came out in June 2021.
Guide to Trade School For People with Disabilities — from primeweld.com, with thanks to Sarah Breckon for this resource.
Per Sarah:
The guide includes advice on what people with disabilities should look for in a trade school, common challenges they may face, where to find additional resources, as well as career options in the trades available to people depending on their disability.
Excerpt:
Professionally successful people living with a disability sometimes credit their impairment for boosting their career prospects, because it taught them perseverance and commitment. Others believe that their physical or cognitive differences in certain areas have led them to develop stronger abilities in others.
Choosing a trade school is an opportunity to assess one’s traits and capabilities, and find the right career for applying them.
Jump to a section:
Understanding the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for Learning Disabilities — from inclusionhub.com by Meredith Kreisa
Following the WCAG for learning disabilities can make your content more accessible to the millions of individuals with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and other conditions
Excerpt:
Advancements in digital technology have made disseminating information to the masses quick and easy. Unfortunately, your audience might not be as big as you think. For millions of people with learning disabilities, some content may be prohibitively challenging to read. This effectively renders information that many take for granted inaccessible to others.
Luckily, by using simple, common-sense methods, your content can be more approachable for those with learning and other types of disabilities. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) maintains Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to provide guidance on supportive techniques.
How Does WCAG Apply to Learning Disabilities?
While cognitive and learning disabilities are distinct conditions, they can lead to similar accessibility issues. Therefore, WCAG groups them together. WCAG’s cognitive and learning disability guidelines fall into eight main objectives:
Also see:
Making Windows 11 the most inclusively designed version of Windows yet — from blogs.windows.com by Carolina Hernandez
National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2021 — from dol.gov
Excerpt:
The theme for NDEAM 2021, “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion,” reflects the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities have full access to employment and community involvement during the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
NDEAM is held each October to commemorate the many and varied contributions of people with disabilities to America’s workplaces and economy. Browse our website for ideas and resources for employers, community organizations, state and local governments, advocacy groups and schools to participate in celebrating NDEAM through events and activities centered around the theme of “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion.”
