Accessibility & Equity

1. Identify barriers to learning by using this checklist: Barriers to Accessibility.

2. Consider the particular needs of your students: Check IEPs, determine individual interests, preferences, and home language).

3. In videos, use closed captioning for live and recorded lessons. Closed captioning ensures that captions are there for students who can benefit from them. They can also be turned off for students who receive too much input.

4. In written documents, use large font and ALT Text with images, screenshots, videos, icons and 3D models. “Alt Text” means inserting brief descriptions of images so students who use text readers for visual support needs can hear a description of the image as needed.

5. Use Text-to-Speech: Converts any written words into speech.

6. Allow choice and alternate means to express understanding -- e.g., students are able to express their understanding orally, in writing, or as a recording.

7. Maintain confidentiality: Check with your district for confidentiality guidelines for all learning environments.

Don't try to do this work alone! Supporting students with special and unique needs can be overwhelming, so collaborate with other stakeholders by delegating tasks. With the support of faculty and staff at the school site, as well as students' families, classroom teachers can:

• Focus on foundational, fundamental skills in reading and math
• Give “wellness check-ins” (see Behavior and Mental Health Support below)
• Provide immediate and specific feedback
  
• Model skills (can be recorded in advance and posted to the online classroom platform to afford students the time to practice the skill). This is a loose version of the flipped classroom model.
  
• Keep videos short (under 10 minutes) and use visuals and/or closed captions in videos
  
• Communicate often with parents, such as offering office hours virtually or via phone
  
• Keep frequent data on progress and revisit areas of need

View this video to see how one school uses The “Check-In, Check-Out” (CICO) procedure. The CICO procedure can also be planned with paraeducators and teacher candidates. As you will see in this video, the adults "checking in and out" with students aren't always the classroom teacher!

1. Students report in the morning to receive the daily goals.

2. Students receive feedback throughout the day.

3. Progress is reviewed at the end of the day.

• Keep in mind Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs before Bloom's Taxonomy! Safety and security before academics!

• Understand that families are diverse, and it is important to get to know your families. You can use a family survey or inventory, such as this Family Interview form.

• Build relationships by checking in often; use paraeducators and teacher candidates as resources.

• If students are joining class virtually, check internet accessibility for students. What support services does your district offer students working from home?

* For more information on meeting the needs of emergent bilinguals and students of color, please revisit our Emergent Bilinguals newsletter.

Articles

• Make Your Word Docs Accessible to People with Disabilities

• Common Barriers to Participation Experienced by People with Disabilities

Web Resources

• Instructional Continuity: Captioning for Live and Recorded Lectures

• Teacher Tutorials: This Hyperdoc houses multiple tutorials to help teachers learn more about digital tools and platforms.

• Remote Learning Checklist: While this checklist focuses on remote learning, many items on this checklist can apply to a variety of learning environments.

Email: soe@calpoly.edu
Website: https://soe.calpoly.edu/20202021-clinical-practice-website