Giving Compass' Take:
- Education Dive explores the realm of edtech, noting that school districts can leverage their buying power to insist that vendors design all products to meet requirements across a spectrum of student needs, especially those with disabilities.
- Which tools might help young people with disabilities the most? How can funders help educators access and understand these tools?
- Learn about eight steps for recognizing ability in students with disabilities.
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Educational technology is so woven into curriculum today, it’s almost impossible to imagine teaching children without it. Would educators pull pencils and erasers from classrooms? Of course not. And nor would they pull computers and other educational tools like tablets.
Yet not all tools, digital or physical, are accessible to all students. Administrators do have a responsibility to ensure students have access to learning, and in a way that addresses and takes into account their particular needs. It’s also the law, primarily through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which requires children with disabilities to be supported through the educational system. At the very least, this makes failure to account for these needs a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Ed tech tools that support more accessible learning opportunities for students include video with subtitles, and platforms with text to speech tools or graphics in color combinations that work for those with visual impairments like color blindness.
Read the full article about schools must ensure edtech meets needs of all students with disabilities by Lauren Barack at Education Dive.