Also see:
Making Windows 11 the most inclusively designed version of Windows yet — from blogs.windows.com by Carolina Hernandez
On 10/06/2021,
in accessibility / UDL, assistive technologies, computer science, Michigan, neurodivergent/special needs, platforms, society, tools, usability, user experience (UX), user interface design, vendors,
by Daniel Christian
On 10/01/2021,
in accessibility / UDL, Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), business, career development, corporate / business world, economics, neurodivergent/special needs, society, surviving, United States, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
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.”
On 09/28/2021,
in education, education reform, face-to-face, faith, homeschooling/homeschoolers, K-12 related, neurodivergent/special needs, policy, student-related, teachers, technologies for your home, United States, user experience (UX), youth,
by Daniel Christian
Holt (1923 – 85) homeschooling and unschooling — from donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com by Donald Clark
Excerpt:
John Holt graduated from Yale in 1943 but signed up to be a submariner in WW2. On discharge, he eventually became a teacher, in various schools. This led to a disillusionment with the US education system so deep that he became an advocate for homeschooling and unschooling. This emerged from his belief that education was so deeply embedded, structurally and culturally, that it was unreformable. Neither did he believe that alternative schools were the answer. He retains his reputation as the founding father of homeschooling.
National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI)
Excerpt:
NHERI is the National Home Education Research Institute. NHERI conducts and collects research about homeschooling (home-based education, home schooling), and publishes the research journal called the Home School Researcher. The institute has hundreds of research works documented and catalogued on home schooling, many of which were done by NHERI. Simply put, NHERI specializes in homeschool research, facts, statistics, scholarly articles, and information.
Homeschooling – home education or home-based education – has grown from nearly extinct in the United States in the 1970s to just over 2 million school-age students. NHERI focuses on homeschooling research, homeschool facts, homeschool fast facts, and in-depth scholarly articles.
On 09/17/2021,
in accessibility / UDL, assistive technologies, Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), digital audio, digital learning, digital video, education, education reform, engagement / engaging students, homeschooling/homeschoolers, learning, neurodivergent/special needs, parents/guardians, participation, society,
by Daniel Christian
Living With a Learning Disability: Challenges, Helpful Advice & Improvements — from inclusionhub.com by Meredith Kreisa
Excerpts:
While it is critical to remember that symptoms, comorbidities, and coping mechanisms vary, we’ll outline some of the challenges individuals with learning disabilities may face and highlight common strategies utilized by community members to address them.
Also see:
Improving Digital Inclusion & Accessibility for Those With Learning Disabilities — from inclusionhub.com by Meredith Kreisa
This comprehensive guide outlines common learning disabilities, associated difficulties, accessibility barriers and best practices, and more.
On 08/05/2021,
in education, education technology, India, neurodivergent/special needs, reading, student-related, teachers,
by Daniel Christian
9 Popular Apps For Adolescents Struggling To Read — from edtechreview.in
We’ve curated a list of 9 popular applications to help adolescents struggling to read.
On 07/27/2021,
in accessibility / UDL, education technology, Google, neurodivergent/special needs,
by Daniel Christian
7 Good Chrome Extensions for Students with Dyslexia — from educatorstechnology.com
Excerpt:
In today’s post I am sharing with you this collection of Chrome extensions to help particularly students with dyslexia enhance their reading skills. The tools bring added functionalities to Chrome browser converting it into a clutter free space where students can focus on their reading. Most of these extensions offer features such as annotations, OCR services, speech to text, special fonts, dictation, and many more.
From DSC:
Here are some other resources that have to do with accessibility and Google as well:
- Present slides with captions
- Chrome now instantly captions audio and video on the web — from theverge.com by Ian Carlos Campbell <– speech-to-text for certain cases
- Open up an MP4 file or an MP3 file using Google Chrome, Chrome will now freely provide automatic captioning for you
- Type with your voice — for Google Docs and Google Slides
- Speech to text within Chrome — an extension
- Google: Accessibility for every student
On 07/27/2021,
in accessibility / UDL, assistive technologies, neurodivergent/special needs,
by Daniel Christian
The Beginner’s Guide to Web Accessibility — from deque.com
Welcome to the Beginner’s Guide to Accessibility! We’re glad you’re here. This guide is designed to teach you enough about the ins-and-outs of accessibility to get your bearings and to serve as a springboard for deeper investigation into the areas of accessibility that are most relevant to you and your needs.
If you’re completely new to accessibility, we recommend starting at the beginning and reading the sections in order. However, if you aren’t a complete beginner, are pressed for time, or simply prefer to jump around in order of personal interest, each section was written to stand alone as it’s own little module of information.
Table of Contents
- Digital Accessibility: What It Is and Why It Matters
- How People with Disabilities Use the Web (and Mobile Apps)
- Accessibility Compliance: Regulations and Requirements
- How Do You Know If You’re Accessible?
On 06/28/2021,
in accessibility / UDL, assistive technologies, design, instructional design, interface design, neurodivergent/special needs, productivity / tips and tricks, tools, vendors, web design and production,
by Daniel Christian
10 Best Accessibility Tools For Designers — from hongkiat.com by Hongkiat Lim
Excerpt:
Today is the world of inclusive technology – websites, apps, and tech gadgets that are made for people with different kinds of abilities and inabilities. So when you’re designing a website, you include features that make your design accessible to as many people as possible. And this is where accessibility tools come into play.
Instead of creating everything from scratch, here’s a list of cool accessibility tools for designers. From creating color combinations according to WCAG standards to adding different reading modes to your website, these tools are a must-haves for every designer. Take a look at the list to know about each tool in detail.
On 06/05/2021,
in accessibility / UDL, assistive technologies, collaboration, communications, communities of practice, education, education reform, neurodivergent/special needs, parents/guardians,
by Daniel Christian
Technology Made Special Education Parents Better Advocates During the Pandemic — from edsurge.com by Nadia Tamez-Robledo
Excerpt:
Those are lessons that should stay in place long after our current era of remote learning, says research analyst Lane McKittrick, who focuses on special education and families at the Center on Reinventing Public Education. She recently co-authored a report on how charter schools effectively supported students with disabilities during the pandemic and is blogging about the topic.
McKittrick’s disappointment didn’t just come from her role as a researcher. She’s also a mom to four children, three of whom are deafblind.
The schools that most successfully served their special education groups were those that prioritized communication and learning about families’ needs, McKittrick found in her own analysis.
On 06/03/2021,
in accessibility / UDL, assistive technologies, neurodivergent/special needs, society,
by Daniel Christian
The Basic Accessibility Fundamentals Bootcamp!
Use this table of contents to jump to specific chapters of the video:
00:00 Introduction
16:24 Inclusion and Accessibility
43:11 What is Digital Accessibility
53:31 Accessibility User Persona
1:04:26 Accessibility Statistics
1:20:53 Accessibility Laws and Legal Landscape
1:44:08 Screen Reader Demo
2:03:32 Accessibility Demographics
2:33:57 Wrap Up Reflection
2:35:19 Q&A
GAAD 2021 Fundamentals Bootcamp Slides.pdf
Recommended Accessibility Books:
- Unleash Different – Rich Donovan
- Mismatch – Kat Holmes
- The End of Average – Todd Rose
- Design for Real Life – Eric Meyer & Sara Wachter-Boettcher
On 05/25/2021,
in accessibility / UDL, Apple, assistive technologies, Microsoft, neurodivergent/special needs, platforms, society,
by Daniel Christian
You’ll Soon be Able to Use Your Apple Watch Without Touching the Screen — from wsj.com by Katie Deighton
Companies like Apple and Spotify are making it easier for people with disabilities to use their products. Accessibility advocates hope more follow suit
AssistiveTouch, a new feature coming to the Apple Watch, will let users operate the device without having to touch the screen or controls. It was designed with people who have upper-body limb differences in mind.
PHOTO: APPLE INC.
Excerpt:
Later this year, Apple Inc. will introduce features that allow users to control an iPad with their eyes, and its smartwatch with gestures like a pinch or a fist clench.
The company announced the moves this week as part of Global Accessibility Awareness Day on May 20, an event established in 2011. Other big tech players revealed initiatives and commitments of their own, from automatic podcast transcriptions by Spotify Technology S.A to the updated design of a specific virtual block in Microsoft Corp.’s “Minecraft” to make it more visible to colorblind players.