[Athen] Article: How a Blind Student Who Felt Locked Out of STEM Classes Challenged and Changed Her University

[Hegney, Shaun]

This is an excellent article and I think it highlights an important issue.  Instruction needs new prospective are a good thing. That pedagogy and yes accessibility matter in a course.

From the article

“Faculty make the decisions of what they use in the classroom based on what the faculty think is the best way to do that teaching, as opposed to an outside source telling them that material related to their course work is inaccessible for use,” says Dehner.

The article also mentioned a problem with disability experts putting the law first over an idea of cultural change. However, from what I have seen in my limited prospective, cultural change is meet with even more hostility than citing a legal requirement.

I think if higher education is going to be more accessible we have to overturn this idea, there is one way to things and that is it. In addition, more than just instruction having input on course design would be a good start.

Interested in her thoughts from others on this story.



Shaun Hegney
Program Specialist 2
Disability Support Services
Spokane Falls Community College
(509)-533-3544
Shaun.Hegney at sfcc.spokane.edu<mailto:Shaun.Hegney at sfcc.spokane.edu>


From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Gunderson, Jon R
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2017 7:19 AM
To: Access Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: [Athen] Article: How a Blind Student Who Felt Locked Out of STEM Classes Challenged and Changed Her University

I was sent this link this morning and though it would be of interest to other people on this list:

How a Blind Student Who Felt Locked Out of STEM Classes Challenged and Changed Her University
https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-12-08-how-a-blind-student-who-felt-locked-out-of-stem-classes-challenged-and-changed-her-university

The short article discusses both the legal issues of accessibility and cultural issues of accepting people with disabilities.

Jon


Jon Gunderson, Ph.D.
Coordinator
Accessible IT Group
Disability Resources and Education Services
College of Applied Health Sciences
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

E-mail: jongund at illinois.edu<mailto:jongund at illinois.edu>
WWW: http://disability.illinois.edu/academic-support/aitg

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