This two-part series explores the responsibility we all have to provide an appropriate education to all students, and not just typical learners. One in five Americans (20%) are currently disabled (US Disability Statistics, Cornell University, https://disabilitystatistics.org/). This number includes physical disabilities (such as those that affect mobility) as well as disabilities that affect perception and the senses, such as hearing, seeing, learning, concentration, and mental health. It is important to note that even if someone is not currently experiencing a disability, that does not mean that they won’t acquire a disability during their lifetime or experience a disability temporarily. We cannot assume that our students do not experience disabilities. Looking to our disability accommodation requests, we can see that many of our students experience a disability that interferes with their education. Accessibility measures help to bridge that gap and support students who have a disability. Putting certain measures into place to improve accessibility actually supports all students, not just those with a disability.
In part one of this series, we share a student’s experiences in medical education, highlighting the accessibility challenges that impede their learning journey. We also look at measures we can take in the physical classroom space. Finally, we collaboratively strategize approaches for instituting cultural shifts to promote accessibility within our institutions.
In part two of the series, we discuss, from a variety of perspectives, the in-accessibilities of popular education technologies and ways that engagement and accessibility does not have to be a trade-off, including the following:
• Impact of digital accessibility on learning effectiveness (e.g., impact on learning through screen reader demo, lack of descriptive links)
• Developing alternative, accessible, interactive learning materials beyond a drag-and-drop
• Getting started with digital accessibility, a framework to implement small changes with wide impact
• Top 10 Tips for Digital Accessibility (bonus: crowd-sourced tips!)
• Universal Design for Learning, a framework that drives engagement and choice, including the +1 approach
The goal for this series is to impart actionable knowledge on how to improve the accessibility of medical education curriculum and classroom spaces and be able to effectively communicate with administration about the importance of instituting measures to increase accessibility.
Part 1
AAMC Webinar: Breaking Barriers, Part 1 – Fostering a Culture of Inclusion and Accessibility – October 8, 2024
Access Recording and Presentation Slides Here
Speakers
| Mark McCall Assistant Director Texas A&M University College of Medicine |
Ceradwen Tokheim, MLIS Instructional Designer University of Washington School of Medicine |
| Jennifer Maldonado Director of Academic Technology Texas A&M University College of Medicine |
Claire Follis, MSEd Instructional Designer Stanford Medicine |
| MD Candidate Texas A&M University College of Medicine |
Jessica Whittemore, MS Instructional Designer Stanford Medicine |
| Jay Diener-Brazelle, PMP Senior Supervisor and Project Manager Education Technology Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine |
Stephanie Tadal, PhD Assistant Professor, Director of Instructional Design and Teaching Development Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine |
| Esther Brandon, MAT, MAS Manager of Learning Design & Technology Adoption Harvard Medical School |
Jessica Campusano, MSEd Instructional Designer Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine |
Part 2
AAMC Webinar: Breaking Barriers, Part 2 – Fostering a Culture of Inclusion and Accessibility – January 9, 2025
Access Recording and Presentation Slides Here
Speakers
| Esther Brandon, MAT, MAS Manager of Learning Design & Technology Adoption Harvard Medical School |
Ceradwen Tokheim, MLIS Instructional Designer University of Washington School of Medicine |
| Jessica Campusano, MSEd Instructional Designer Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine |
Jay Diener-Brazelle, PMP Senior Supervisor and Project Manager Education Technology Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine |
| Claire Follis, MSEd Instructional Designer Stanford Medicine |
Jessica Whittemore, MS Instructional Designer Stanford Medicine |
Resources
Digital Accessibility Tips, Tools, & Resources
Digital Accessibility Tips, Tools, & Resources (Responses)
Inaccessible Links Demonstration
Presentation Links
Top 10 Tips for Digital Accessibility
Getting Started with S.L.I.D.E. (Links Below)
Start Here!
Styles
Links - Creating Accessible Documents
Images - Creating Accessible Documents
Design - Creating Accessible Documents
Evaluation - Creating Accessible Documents