Equal Access to the Digital World!

     When I have access to the digital world, it means that I can indepdently use the technology tools that I have access to.  It means that I am able to read the text on my iPad or computer screen, can hear the voice of the other caller on my smartphone, that I can physically type on a touch screen to communicate with others or write as needed, and that I can manage these things on my own with little help day-to-day.  When I have access, it means that I can use my computer functionally to complete the tasks which I'm trying to work on. 

     When others have access to the digital world, the goal is the same- independently successful use.  The approach may look, sound, or physically feel differently, but access is there.  Others may use talk-to -text technology, or adjust the contrast or inverse the colors on the screen for visual access. Some people may need to have an enhanced speaker, or use video chat so they can sign or lip read, or use other accessibility settings to make their tool work for them. 

     In the public school setting, the law says that students must have access to the curriculum.  As a special educator, it's my job to look at the typical preschool classroom and make it work for all of my students.  For each child, this may look different, and this is to be expected.  When I design a program or task for a specific child, I think about the goal of the activity, what they are able to do, and how they will be most benefited or most engaged.  For some students an iPad is a big draw. They may not know the letters in their name, but when an app shows their picture, plays a voice recording of me saying their name, and shows their letters on the screen, they are immediately drawn in.  This is, of course, only one of so many examples.  

     When everyone has equal access to the digital world, I know that each child is being exposed to and practicing using different types of technology tools and resources.  I know that some are more appropriate for some students as opposed to others, but I know that they can get what they need with a little thought and creativity.  When I provide access to the digital world, I know that I'm modifying a sign-in chart at the interactive whiteboard to enlarge or change the color of the name of one child who is visually impaired.  I know that I am supporting the hand grasp on the pen of another student for whom functional hand use is a challenge.  I know that I am changing the settings on an app to turn off the music in the background of a game for a student who is sound sensitive. I know that I might use a stylus with a child who has difficulty isolating only one finger on a tablet screen.  These are examples of how I'm thinking about accessibility to technology at the preschool level.  

     I'm amazed at the accommodations that so many technology tools today offer.  When I look at the settings on my tablet or smartphone, there are so many options to make the technology work for the consumer.  This is a big change!  People with physical, visual and auditory challenges can still use these tools successfully and indepently, and make them work for their lives and their needs.