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I am a big proponent of Universal Design and agree with the article, "How Universal Design Will Make Your Library More Inclusive," that it is important to design elements or enact applications that will benefit everyone and not focus on a select few. One that is not technology, but a huge issue I see on a daily basis is the use of “old school” desks. Students come in all shapes and sizes and now need additional space to place their laptop along with books, notes, etc. It is disappointing to see the low level of comfort with the students in this sitting arrangement. I have had to request a table and chair situation for a student who did not fit in a desk and I find that to be unacceptable. With having tables and chairs or a variety of seating options for everyone, you eliminate this singling out of a particular person. (Spina, 2017) With this in mind, the video we watched this week, which really resonated with me, was the overview of the school building that was built for the deaf. Every aspect of the build was a design element that could benefit all people, not just the deaf community. Screen readers can benefit every student with their daily work in school. I believe the first step is to familiarize the teachers with how the tools work so they can explain it to the students. A school librarian would be a great resource to help with this training.
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Prior to the pandemic, a lot of schools did not have a policy in place for a one-to-one technology device for every student, but during and after the pandemic, it has become more prevalent, if not a requirement. An example recently in a class at our school that reiterates the need for JAWS, or a similar screen reader, is the students were given an electronic copy of the book, The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, for an English III Honors course. Having a screen reader available for all students would encourage students to listen to the story especially if they are better auditory learners, dislike reading on their computer for long lengths of time, would like the option to take notes while they hear the story, or just would prefer an audiobook version over a print version. It is clear that we must, as a community, start to think about the universal design process as a normal part of our everyday lives in order to encourage more inclusivity in our world.
Videos and a Podcast to get you started on how to use JAWS:
Video Introduction to JAWS (Length: 5:24)
How to Navigate Websites with JAWS (Length: 7:26)
Additional Resources:
2 comments:
Hi Caroline,
First off, I want to say that I love your blog—you make it user-friendly and the design is so clean and modern. Until this class, I’ve never heard of JAWS and through exploration of class resources and your blog, I’ve learned how it’s a great assistant technology tool. I wanted to point out something you referenced that I’ve never even thought of. How school desks are “old school” and don’t fit all students’ needs (size, technology, usage, comfort). Little things like this are exactly what the article How Universal Design Will Make Your Library More Inclusive strives to address and change. I like how you gave reasons for why JAWS is inclusive for everyone, that it’s a design that fits all. Assistive technology isn’t just for disabilities, if they are made correctly then they are for all abilities.
Kacee Merritt
Hey! I've never heard of JAWS before however it sounds like an amazing tool. I'm glad you put in ways that everyone can use this tool rather than just focusing on people with vision impairment. I think that the importance of a library is to include everyone on different tools that can help them that way students don't feel singled out if they are using a tool like JAWS. Have an amazing week!
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