I just watched the Office of Disability Resources video on accessibility and accommodations at UMW. I think it is so cool that our school has such a high population of students with disabilities, it shows that our school values accessibility, possibly more than other schools around Virginia. The video introduced me to the idea of digital accessibility, which is not something that I had really heard of before. I had heard of adding closed captions before but not much about things like using specific fonts and headers. I am going to look at the WCAG website to learn more about that.
The difference between accessibility and accommodations is that accessibility is a broader goal that encompasses many disabilities being accommodated for as a baseline in society. Accommodations are more personal and given out on a case-by-case basis. For example, an accessible classroom would already have seating, technology, and a layout that was able to be used by people of many disabilities. An example of an accommodation would be a student recording lectures to help with their ADHD. I feel like an accommodation request I could encounter could in fact be recording, as stuff I would be consulting on is often complicated and some students might have trouble remembering all the steps.
I think it is important in this line of work to make sure your instructional time is delivered alongside any accommodations an individual may need. If the person you are helping does not have a chance to fully be present because of a need of theirs not being met, they will not be able to fully take away information from your appointment. This includes making sure you are sitting in an area that is comfortable for the client, speaking clearly and loudly so they can hear and understand you, and any other request they might disclose to you. The most important part is to be flexible and understanding, so that even if you do not know how to accommodate someone at first, you can quickly adapt.
I think this lesson was valuable especially at our school with a high rate of students with disabilities. Tune in next time to see what I am up to, and as always, stay creative.
Teagan Stacy