“Being able to communicate your thoughts, feelings, and ideas is absolutely critical to being successful in school and the workplace” (Dell et al. 2012).
Communication is something that should be accessible by all people and with all of the assistive technology out there, it is becoming increasingly possible for people with disabilities to communicate (when they wouldn’t have been able to before).
One type of disability I’m focusing on today is hard of hearing. There can be many obstacles in a typical classroom for students who are hard of hearing. A student who doesn’t hear the teacher’s question won’t have the opportunity to answer it. Also, if a student can’t hear their peers carry on a conversation, they can’t contribute to it. This can lead to a feeling of isolation. Also, if a teacher is circulating around the room and/or turns their back at the board, it could affect a student’s reception of instruction.
As educators, whenever we have a student with a disability in our classroom, it is important to remember those UDL principles and do our best to rid our classroom of barriers for all students.
References: Dell, A. G., Newton, D. A. and Petroff, J. G. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom: Enhancing the School Experiences of Students with Disabilities (2nd edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
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