Symposium One: Effective Models, Frameworks, and Approaches

1 EffectiveModels,Frameworks,andApproaches March14–15,2017

Symposium One: Effective Models, Frameworks, and Approaches

March 14 – 15, 2017University of WashingtonSeattle, Washington

Proceedings from the Ed-ICT International Network: Disabled students, ICT, post-compulsory education & employment: In search of new solutions


Effective Models, Frameworks, and ApproachesFundedforthreeyearsbyTheLeverhulmeTrust,thisInternationalNetworkisco-organizedbyJaneSeale(TheOpenUniversity,UK);TaliHeiman(OpenUniversity,Israel);SherylBurgstahler(UniversityofWashington,US);CatherineFichten(DawsonCollege,Canada)andBjörnFisseler(FernUniversität,Germany).

TheEd-ICTInternationalnetworkisexploringtherolethatinformationandcommunicationtechnologies(ICTs)—includingcomputers,assistivetechnologies,onlinelearning,socialnetworkingsites—playorcouldplayincausingthedisadvantageorremovingthedisadvantagethatstudentswithdisabilitiesexperienceinpost-compulsory/post-secondaryeducationgenerallyandspecificallyinrelationtosocial,emotional,andeducationaloutcomes.

ThenetworkalsoexaminesthepracticesrequiredofeducatorsandotherstakeholderstomediatesuccessfulandsupportiverelationshipsbetweenlearnerswithdisabilitiesandICT.TheNetworkisworkingto

• synthesizeandcomparetheresearchevidencethatisavailableacrossthefivecountriesregardingtherelationshipbetweenstudentswithdisabilities,ICTsandpost-compulsoryeducation;

• constructtheoreticalexplanationsforwhyICTshavenotyetbroughtaboutthereductionsindiscrimination,disadvantageandexclusionthatwerepredictedwhenequalityanddiscriminationrelatedlawswerepublishedacrossthefivecountries;and


• providenewperspectivesaboutpotentialfuturesolutionsregardinghowpost-compulsoryeducationinstitutionscanbetteruseICTstoremovetheongoingproblemsofdisadvantageandexclusionofstudentswithdisabilities.

Inordertomeettheseobjectivesfiveinternationalsymposiawillbeheldoverthreeyearswithfivebroadthemes:1. Effectivemodels,frameworks,andapproaches2. Stakeholderroles3. Newdesigns4. Effectivepractices5. Newsolutions

Foreachsymposium,20localstakeholdersfromanyorallofthefollowinggroupswillbeinvitedtoparticipate:

• studentswithdisabilities;• faculty(lecturers,professors);• professionalsresponsibleforsupportservicesforstudentswithdisabilities(e.g.,access

technologists)inpost-compulsoryeducation;• professionalsresponsibleforfaculty/staffdevelopment;• campusinformationtechnologystaff;• digitaltextbookandresourcepublishers;• otherindividualswhoworktosupporttheacademicsuccessofstudentswithdisabilities;and• seniorinstitutionalmanagersandadministrators.


ContentsAbouttheSymposium..........................................................................................................................................7

CBIAgenda............................................................................................................................................................9

PresentationSummaries.....................................................................................................................................13

PanelPresentationSummary............................................................................................................................17

DiscussionSummaries.......................................................................................................................................25

WorldCafé...........................................................................................................................................................27

SymposiumParticipants....................................................................................................................................37

Resources..............................................................................................................................................................41

Acknowledgments..............................................................................................................................................43


About the SymposiumResearchandpracticeliteraturewithinthefieldsofaccessibility,disabilityandtechnologyfrequentlyidentifiesthatpracticewithinpost-compulsory/post-secondaryeducationinstitutionsneedtochangeorimproveinordertoensurethefullinclusionofstudentswithdisabilities.Itisalsonotuncommonforthisliteraturetopointtospecificmodels,frameworksorapproaches(forexample,universaldesign)thatmightinformsuchatransformationofpractice.Thepremiseofthisfirstsymposiumisthatweneedmorein-depthquestioningandexaminationofthevalueandefficacyofsuchmodels,frameworksorapproaches.Inthissymposium,throughindividualpresentationsandarangeofgroupactivitiesweappliedacriticallenstothefieldsthatstudystudentswithdisabilities,ICT,post-compulsory/post-secondaryeducationandemployment.Ourgoalwastoseekanswerstothefollowingquestions:

• Whatevidenceistherethatuniversaldesigniseffectiveinvariousapplicationsandcontextsandwithavarietyofstakeholders?Canthismodelinformthepracticeofallrelevantstakeholderswithinpost-compulsoryeducation?

• Whatothermodels,frameworksorapproachesexistandwhichstakeholdersaretheyaimedat?

• Howdovariousmodels,frameworksorapproachestranslateintopractice?• Doweneedtodevelopnewmodels,frameworksorapproaches?Ifso,forwhatapplications

andstakeholdergroups?• Howcanmodels,frameworksorapproachestransformpractice?Aretherealternative

conceptualtoolstohelpstakeholdersutilizetechnologieswithstudentswithdisabilitiesinmoreinclusiveandaccessibleways?


Symposium AgendaDay 1: 14th March 2017What current models, frameworks or approaches exist and how useful are they?

Registration 8:30 – 9:00

Welcome and Introduction 9:00 – 9:15SherylBurgstahler(UniversityofWashington,UnitedStates)andothermembersoftheEd-ICRleadershipteamJaneSeale(ED-ICTnetworkleader,TheOpenUniversity,UK);TaliHeiman(OpenUniversity,Israel);CatherineFichten(DawsonCollege,Canada)andBjörnFisseler(FernUniversität,Germany)

Introductory Ice-Breaker Activity 9:15 – 10:00Sherylwillleada5-10minuteengagementexercisethatshedslightontheexperienceofdisability

JanewillfollowupwithanactivitythatencouragespeopletoshareinpairsorthreesonethingthattheydowellinrelationtosupportanddeliveryofICTforstudentswithdisabilitiesandonethingtheywouldliketodobetter

Presentation: Setting the Scene 10:00 – 11:00 An overview of models in the field and the questions we need to ask of them By Jane Seale

Paperwillbecirculatedpriortomeeting


Title:Whatmodels,approachesorframeworksexistinthefieldofdisability,ICT(informationandcommunicationtechnology)andpost-secondaryeducation;aretheysuccessfulintransformingthesupportanddeliveryofICTfordisabledstudentsordoweneednewones?

International Panel 11:30 – 12:45Apaneldiscussionwithonepersonfromeachparticipatingcountry:TaliHeiman(Israel);AliceHavel(Canada);ChetzColwell(UK);DanComden(US)andChristianBuehler(Germany)

Title:Whattypicalmodels,approachesorframeworksareusedineachcountryforsupportinganddeliveringICTfordisabledstudentsinpost-secondaryeducationandhowsuccessfularethey?

Lunch and Networking 12:45 – 13:45

Presentation 13:45 – 14:45 Applying models in practice: an individual perspective By Sheryl Burgstahler

Title:Howdesignframeworksandmodelshaveinformedherwork

Round-Table Discussions 14:45 – 15:45

Smallgroupdiscussionsfocusingonwhatmodels,frameworksorapproachestheyuseintheirownpractice,howtheyusethemandthefactorsthatinfluencethevalueandutilityofthemodels,frameworksorapproaches

Plenary 15:45 – 16:30LedbyJane

Overviewofdiscussions

Day 2: 15th March 2017Doweneednewmodels,frameworksorapproachesorjustbetterevidenceforourexistingmodels-whataretheimplicationsforresearch?

Registration, Networking 8:30 – 9:00

Summary and Reflection 9:00 – 9:30LedbyJaneSeale,LeaderoftheEd-ICTNetwork

Participant Panel Discussion: Design Issues 9:30 – 10:15FacilitatedbySheryl

WhatarethedesignissuesregardingICTwithrespecttotheinstitutionandstudentswithdisabilitiesinpost-secondaryeducation?…andhowifatalldomodelsandframeworkscontributetoresolvingthoseissues?


Participant Panel Discussion: Transition Issues 10:15 – 11:00FacilitatedbySheryl

WhataretheICTissuesrelatedtotransitiontoemploymentforstudentswithdisabilities?…andhowifatalldomodelsandframeworkscontributetoresolvingthoseissues?

Participant Panel: Student Issues 12:30 – 13:30FacilitatedbySheryl

StudentswithdisabilitieswillsharetheirexperiencesofhowthesupportanddeliveryofICThasimpactedontheirlearningandtransitionsbetweeneducationlevelsandtoemployment11:30-12:30

Lunch and Networking 1:30 – 13:30

World Café 13:30 – 15:00LedbyJane

AteachofthetablesJanewillplaceaflipchartwithaquestionorstatement(derivedfrompreviousdayandhalfdiscussions)andaskeachgrouptorespondtothatbymind-mappingtheirresponsetothequestionontheflip-chart.(pensandpost-itsprovided)

Thegroupswillrotatearoundthetables-sothattheycanaddtheirownresponsestotheoriginalquestionandrespondtootherpeoples’responsesiftheywish.Themind-mapexpandswitheachrotation.

Questionswillfocusonwhatresearchisneededtoresolvetheissueshighlightedinrelationtomodelsandframeworks;whatisneededtomovepracticeforwardandhowresearchandpracticemightinformoneanother.

Plenary 15:00 – 15:45LedbyJane

Overviewofworldcaféoutputsanddiscussiononwheretonextregardingresearchplansforthegroup.


Presentation SummariesWhat Models, Approaches Or Frameworks Exist In The Field Of Disability, ICT, And Post-Secondary Education; Are They Successful In Transforming The Support And Delivery Of ICT For Disabled Students Or Do We Need New Ones?

ByJaneSeale,TheOpenUniversity,UnitedKingdom

TheLeverhulmeTrusthasfundedtheInternationalNetworkonICT,Disability,Post-secondaryEducationandEmployment(Ed-ICT)tofindareasofresearchrelatedtothenetwork’sfocusareas,specifically,therolethatinformationandcommunicationtechnologies(ICTs)—includingcomputers,mobiledevices,assistivetechnologies,onlinelearning,andsocialnetworkingsites—playorcouldplayincreatingbarriersandmitigatingdisadvantagesthatstudentswithdisabilitiesexperienceinpost-compulsory/post-secondaryeducationbothgenerallyandspecificallyinrelationtosocial,emotionalandeducationaloutcomes.

Practitionersinpost-secondaryeducationgenerallyknowtheyneedtobemoreinclusiveintheireducationalpractices;however,awarenessdoesn’talwaysresultinsuccessfulpractice.Modelsandframeworkscanworkastoolstoguidepractitioners,aslongaswearecriticalofthesemodelsandframeworks.


Inmypaperofthesamenameasthispresentation(ed-ict.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Seale_Ed_ICT_paper_03032017.pdf),Ifocusonninedifferentmodelsorframeworks,mostofwhichfocusonaccessibility.Allfallwithinoracrossthefollowingthreeareas:

• MicroLevel—Afocusonpracticesinvolvedinmakingallresourcesandactivitiesaccessible(e.g.,UniversalDesign,theHolisticModel)

• MesoLevel—AfocusonthedeliveryofserviceswithinaninstitutionthatplayaroleinpromotingtheuseofsupportiveICTsandcontributetosuccessfuleducationalandemploymentoutcomes(e.g.,StaffDevelopmentModelforInclusiveLearningandTeaching)

• MacroLevel—Afocusontheinstitutionwherethoseservicesandpracticestakeplace,includingtheinternalandexternalfactorsthatinfluenceinstitutionaldevelopmentandorganization(e.g.,TheModelofProfessionalism)

Furthermore,wemustaskhowthesemodelsandframeworkstransformpractice.Howvalidandefficaciousarethesemodelsandframeworks?Havewecarefullyexaminedthevalidityandefficacyorareweblindlyfollowingothers?Haveweconsideredalloptions?

Allmodelsandframeworksshouldbecarefullyexaminedforvalidityandefficacy,includingthewritingsandworkthatunderpineachmodel.Forvalidity,wecanaskthefollowingquestions:

• Howwerethemodelsorframeworksderived?• Whatevidenceistherethattheyhaveimprovedpracticeoroutcomesforstudentswith

disabilities?• Forefficacy,wecanaskthefollowingquestions:• Howdetailedarethemodelsorframeworks-whatistheirlevelofgranularity?• Havethemodelsandframeworksbeenimplementedinpractice?Howwidelyhavetheybeen

implemented?

Oftenmodelsarecriticizedinasuperficialmanner,or,transversely,arechampionedwithoutacknowledgingtheirweaknesses.Istherereallyonlyonemodelorframeworkthatcandothejob,ordoweneedmultiplemodelsandframeworks?And,areweapplyingtherightcriticallenswhenanalyzingthesemodels?

Questionsandcommentsfromtheaudienceincludedthefollowing:• Whatresearchisalreadybeingdoneformodels?• Differentbackgroundswillcreatedifferentmodels,andsoifallmodelsarecomingfromthe

sameplace,theymaynotfitforeveryone.• Canwehavealargebroadmodelthatcoverseverythingandthenworkbackwardstocover

thegranularityasneeded?• Thevalueofamodelhastodowiththehypothesisthatitcanbeusedtotest—forthese

models,therehasn’tbeenmuchtestingorpractice.• Peopledon’talwaysknowwhatmodeltheyareusing.• Thecostofapplyingeachmodelshouldbetakenintoaccount.• Eachmodelcouldhavearangeofoptionstobeusedfordifferentproblems.• Oneproblemcanhavemultiplesolutions—forexample,allbuildingscanhaverampsorall

peoplecouldbegivenaflyingwheelchair.Costandeaseofusemustbeconsidered.• Whenchoosingamodel,unconsciousbiasshouldbereviewed.Forexample,aprofessormay

thinktheyknowbestaboutdisabilityandchooseamodelbasedontheirownexperiences;however,itmaybeinappropriateforstudentswithdisabilities.

http://ed-ict.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Seale_Ed_ICT_paper_03032017.pdf

http://ed-ict.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Seale_Ed_ICT_paper_03032017.pdf


• Whatoutcomesdowevalue?Policymakersandeducatorswillwantdifferentoutcomesandmayvaluedifferentresultsthanotherstakeholders.

• Howaredifferentresearchersandpractitionersconsideredinamodel?

How Design Frameworks and Models Have Informed My Work

BySherylBurgstahler

AttheUniversityofWashington,wehavetwocentersunderAccessibleTechnologyServices,theAccessTechnologyCenterfundedspecificallyfortheUW,andtheDO-IT(Disabilities,Opportunities,InternetworkingandTechnology)Center,whichisfundedbythestateandvariousnationalandinternationalgrants.Universaldesign(UD)informsmuchofmywork.UDcanbeviewedasanattitude,aframework,agoal,andaprocess.UDvaluesdiversity,equity,andinclusion;promotesbestpractices;worksproactively;andminimizestheneedforfurtherspecializationoraccommodations.

Universaldesigncanbeappliedtophysicalspaces,instruction,services,andICT.Universaldesignisdefinedas“thedesignofproducts&environmentstobeusablebyallpeople,tothegreatestextentpossible,withouttheneedforadaptationorspecializeddesign.”(TheCenterforUniversalDesign).Softwareandwebapplicationsshouldbedesignedforusebyindividualswithdisabilities,includingthosewhouseassistivetechnology.Accessibledesignstrategiesincludekeyboard-onlydesign,alternativetext,descriptivelinks,hierarchicalstructure,andcaptionedvideos.

UDworksasaframeworkasindicatedinthefollowingimagethatisdescribedbelow.

AnyapplicationoftheUDframeworkisbuiltonkeyaspectsoftheenvironmentinwhichitisbeingapplied.Thesepotentiallyincludethefollowing:

• Values:e.g.,socialjusticemodelofdisability;inclusionofdiversity,equity,andinclusion• Goals:e.g.,equity,inclusion,compliance• The Approach:e.g.universaldesignvsaccommodationsthatrelyondefinitions,principles,

guidelines,processesandstakeholders• Inputs:e.g.,thosethataretopdownandthosethatarebottom-up;staffinglevels,andfunding• Practices:e.g.,training,outreach,etc.,thatistailoredtointheinstitution,culture,policies,and

unitfunctions• Outputs and Outcomes:thatrequiredevelopingmeasures,analyzingresults,andwriting

reports• Impacts:toincludeequity,inclusion,complianceasestablishedwiththeoriginalgoals

ResearchonUDofICToftenemploysausabilitytestingdesignapproach.CASThasdoneresearchontheuniversaldesignoflearning,althoughmostoftheresearchhasbeenconductedatanelementarygradelevelandinlanguagearts,withinterventionsnotalwaystestedwithstudentswithawidevarietyofcharacteristicsthatincludedisabilities.InonechapterofthesecondeditionofUniversalDesigninHigherEducation:FromPrinciplestoPractice,research19studiesofuniversaldesignofinstructionatthe


postsecondarylevelarereported;mostlookedattheaveragesuccess/satisfactionofstudentsoverall.DO-ITthroughaquasi-experimentaldesignshowedthatpost-secondarystudentswithdisabilitiesinclasseswithuniversaldesignforinstruction-trainedinstructorsearnedgradesclosertothoseofstudentswithoutdisabilities(seewww.uw.edu/doit/impact-faculty-training-universal-design-instruction-grades-students-disabilities).

WhatICTdesignshouldbeaddressedwithUD,andwhatshouldbeaddressedwithassistivetechnologyandotheraccommodationsisanongoingquestioninthefieldofICT?

Someofthequestionsandresponsesoftheparticipantsarecapturedbelow.

What are the challenges in the future in terms of UD of learning?Gettingpeopletoactuallydoitisthehardestpartoftheframework.Facultyandstaffmustbetrainedandhavesupport,whichrequirestimeandfunding.ManyfacultymembershavenotheardaboutUDorknowitisanoptionfortheirteachingpractices.

The EPUB (a file type) standard strongly supports accessibility for digital tools. However, disability resource services are not ready to deal with EPUB. What is the solution?DisabilityresourceservicesandITdepartmentsneedtoworktogethertoadoptnew,powerful,andinclusivetechnology.

How do we get administrators and other stakeholders involved?AttheUW,inatop-downeffortwesecuredthesupportofthechiefinformationofficerforourgoaltoimproveITaccessibilitycampus-wide.Wehavealsoworkedbottom-upbyenlistingavolunteergroupofITAccessibilityLiaisonsrepresentingdifferentdepartmentssignedontomeetafewtimesayear,engageindiscussionsaboutaccessibility,andpromoteaccessibilityintheirunitsandbeyond.However,muchworkremainstobedonebeforeITisfullyaccessibletoallofourstudents.

What is Washington State Policy #188?Itsetstheexpectationthatallstateagencieswilldevelop,procure,anduseITthatisaccessibletoeveryone,includingthosewithdisabilities.LearnmoreaboutPolicy#188atocio.wa.gov/policy/accessibility.

How can we test to make sure UD of learning is working?It’shardsinceit’ssuchabroadtopic,andalltestingwillbeveryspecific.Wehavemanypromisingpractices,butwedon’tknowifwecansaythey’retestingorresearch.

How do you work with third party vendors and accessibility?OurmostsuccessfulpracticewaswhenIaskedtodoaco-presentationwithoneofourmainprocurementpeopleataprocurementconference.Thatgothimveryinterestedinaccessibility,whichledhimtosupportingmoreaccessibilityinourpurchases.

http://www.uw.edu/doit/impact-faculty-training-universal-design-instruction-grades-students-disabilities

http://www.uw.edu/doit/impact-faculty-training-universal-design-instruction-grades-students-disabilities


Panel Presentation SummariesInternational Panel: What Typical Models, Approaches Or Frameworks Are Used In Each Country For Supporting And Delivering ICT For Disabled Students In Post-Secondary Education And How Successful Are They?

Thispanelincludedonerepresentativefromeachparticipatingcountry:TaliHeiman(Israel);AliceHavel(Canada);ChetzColwellandTimCoughlan(UK);DanComden(US);andChristianBuehler(Germany).

The Open University of Israel (Tali Heiman)

AccessibilityinhighereducationhasbeenimprovingoverthelastsixyearsinIsrael:

• In2011,theequalrightsregulationdraftwaswritten,whichincludedaccessibilityadjustmentstoexistingpublicplaces,highereducationinstitutions,andhighereducationservices.

• In2015,theIsraeliInternetregulationswerepassedonthebasisofglobalaccessibilityguidelines(W3C).

• In2016,theregulationofhighereducationinstitutionswaslegislated.• In2017,highereducationinstitutionswererequiredtomakeaccessibilityadjustments.


TheOpenUniversityofIsrael(OUI)hasopenadmissions,integratedteachingmethods(includingtechnologies),andadistancelearningmethod.Since2011,universaldesignhasbeenusedoncampusandonline.Studentswithlearningdisabilitiesmakeupthelargestgroupofstudentswithdisabilities.VarietiesofICTtoolsusedbytutorsincludeonlinecoursematerials,collaborativetools,hardwaresuchasSMARTboard,communicationtools,socialnetworking,andpersonalcomputertechnologiesinclass.

The Road to ICTs is Paved with Good Intentions (Alice Havel)

InQuebec,post-secondaryeducationisaprovincialresponsibility,andwemustfollowtheQuebecCharterofHumanRightsandFreedoms,whichstates“Everypersonhasarighttofullandequalrecognitionandexerciseofhishumanrightsandfreedoms,withoutdistinction,exclusionorpreferencebasedon…ahandicaportheuseofanymeanstopalliateahandicap.”

Ifwehadtochoosemodelsweuse,theywouldbetheInteractionalModel;theDisabilityCreationProcess,alocalmodelthatfocusesoneachperson’sspecificneeds;andtheUniversalDesignforLearningmodel.Ourprocessesmainlyfollowthesocialmodelofdisability,andwearealwaystryingtoremovebarriers.Wegetfundingforsoftwareforindividualstudents;however,weareonlybeginningtotackleaccessibilityinwebdesignanddocuments.

OurbarrierstosupportinganddeliveringICTstostudentswithdisabilitiesareweaklegislationandenforcement,alackoftop-downinstitutionalsupport,heavyresponsibilityondisabilityservices,andinsufficientknowledgeoncreatingaccessibleproducts.

What Typical Models, Approaches or Frameworks are Used in the UK for Supporting and Delivering ICT for Disabled Students in Post -Compulsory Education and How Successful are They? (Chetz Colwell and Tim Coughlan)

ExternaldriversforaccessibilityforpeoplewithdisabilitiesfromthegovernmentincludestheDisabledStudentAllowance,theEqualityActandPublicSectorEqualityDuty(2010),somepractitionerorganizations,WCAG2.0,andalackoftransitionplanningtocollege.Wehavediscourseforinclusiveteaching,butmostofthatisnotbroughtintopractice.Whilewewanttobelieveinthesocialmodelofdisability,we’restillfallingbackonthemedicalmodel,whereresourcesareallocatedbasedondiagnoses.Thereisadifferencebetweenclaimsofcomplianceandreality.TheUKfocusesmostlyontheHolistic,Contextualized,andStaffDevelopmentModels—however,manyofthesemodelsaremainlyusedintechnicalfields.

TheOpenUniversityUKisopentoallstudentsandhasahistoryofcreatingandpresentingcourses.TheSecuringGreaterAccessibilityteamhasbroughtcolleaguestogetherfromacrossfacultiesandprofessionalunits.Thegreatestchallengesfallinthefactthatwehavetightproductionschedules,someoutdatedmodules,alackofstrategicdirectionrelatedtopracticalactions,andlowerattainmentofsomestudentswithdisabilities(thoughnoresearchintowhichgroupsandwhy).Weplanonincreasingattentiontoaccessibilityinmoduleproduction,includingcreatingapolicyforaccessibility,andwewanttotakeonarangeofacademicresearch.


Higher Ed Accessible Technology in the US (Dan Comden)

Atthepre-collegelevel,technologyispersonalized,withspecializedsupportandequipmentforeachstudent.However,inhighereducation,supportisnotindividualized,andeachpersonmustadvocateforhimselforherself.ICTsupportcomesfromstudentservices,informationtechnology,andsometimesboth.Instudentservices,studentscangotoonedisabilityservicesofficeandgetamorepersonalizedexperience.However,theymaynotbegettingwhatinformationtechnology(IT)supportandtechnologytoolstheyneedtobesuccessful.IfastudentcanturntoIT,theygetthetoolstheyneedtobesuccessful;however,theymayneedtoreachouttofindmoreaboutwhattheyneed,andstaffwillneedspecializedtechnologytraining.

OntheUWcampus,wehavetheAccessTechnologyCenter,wherewepromoteaccessiblecomputersandequipmentacrosscampusforstudentstouse,aswellasalternativemediaoptions.Processesatotherschoolsareuniquetotheircampuses.

What Typical Models, Approaches, or Frameworks are Used in Germany for Supporting and Delivering ICT for Disabled Students in Post- Compulsory Education and How Successful are They? (Christian Buehler)

Compulsoryschoollastsuntilchildrenare9or10;theyears11-13areforspecificjobtraining.Furthervocationaltraininganduniversitytrainingcanbepursuedafteranexam.Throughoutthesestages,educationisaresponsibilityofthestates,witheachstatehandlingitsimplementationdifferently.Forpeoplewithdisabilities,thestatesoftenfollowamedicalmodelwithsocialbenefits,withastrongfocusonemployment;companieswhodonothireenoughpeoplewithdisabilitiesarepenalizedbytherequirementtopayequalizationfees.

Peoplewithdisabilitiesgetstrongtechnicalsupportduringtheireducation,includinghardwaretoolsaswellassoftwaretoolsandindividualschoolandworkplaceadaptation.Under,Barrierefreiheit,infrastructureisconsideredbarrierfreeaccessibleiftheyare“inageneralmanner,withoutspecialdifficulty,principallywithoutexternalhelp,findable,accessible,andusablebypeoplewithdisabilities.”Thisisthestatelawforalluniversities.SimilartoUD,DesignforAllisanotherconceptthathascomeoutofafocusonspecialusersanddiversityasastrength,whereproductsaresuitableformostpotentialusersandareeasilyadaptablefordifferentusers.

Some of the questions and responses from the International Panel are included below.

What ideas would you steal from other countries?

• IntheUS,thereismoreenforcementofresponsibilitytosupportstudentswithdisabilities.Studentscanusethelawtocomplainandforceauniversitytomeettheirlegalobligations.

• IntheUK,thingsareoftendonequicklyandfromatop-downperspective.• Othercountrieshaveaformallinkbetweendisabilityresourcesandinformationtechnology.• WeneedmorespecialistsinaccessibilityandICTandalinkbetweenaccommodationsand

mainstreamtechnology.


How can we fix the faculty workload to encourage them to promote accessibility?

• Weneedamodelthatmakesitclearwhoisresponsibleforwhatlevelofaccessibility.• Weneedtoimpressuponfacultythatitistheirresponsibilitytomaketheirteachingaccessible.• Myargumentisthatitisallourresponsibility—ifweshareit,theneachpersonaddsalittle

bitoftimetotheirworkload,andsincefacultyaretheonescreatingthecontent,theyshouldproactivelymakeitaccessible.

• Weneedtobeteachingpeopletocreateaccessiblecontentatayoungerage.• Innovationandchangeeffortscansometimeslackconsiderationofaccessibility;accessibility

shouldalwaysbepartofthedesignprocess.• Afacultymembershouldtakeprideintheirownteachingandwantallstudents,including

thosewithdisabilities,tolearntheirmaterialwell.• Inourcountry,wehavealumpsumofmoneygiventoeachcollegeforfacultytoapplyfor

inordertocantaketimeoutoftheirscheduletoimprovetheircourses—thiscanincludeaccessibilityprojects.

What can we consider is “enough” for promoting accessibility?

• Itwillneverbecompleted—itisacontinualprocessthatneedstobesupported.• Accessibilitywillbeachievedwhenwedon’tneedaccessibilityspecialistsoncampus,which

probablywon’tbehappeninganytimesoon.

Design Issues Panel: What are the Design Issues Regarding ICT with Respect to the Institution and Students with Disabilities in Post-Secondary Education? And How if at All Do Models and Frameworks Contribute to Resolving Those Issues?

ThispanelincludedChristianVinten-Johansen,PennStateUniversity;JeffreyBigham,CarnegieMellonUniversity;CyndiRowland,UtahStateUniversity;andCynthiaBennett,UniversityofWashington.

Belowaresomeoftheanswerstothequestion:WhatcanwedotohelpthenextgenerationoffacultyandITcreatorspromoteandcreatewithaccessibilityinmind?

• Iincludeaccessibilityasapointinallofmyclasses,evenifthatclassdoesn’thaveamainfocusonaccessibility.

• Peoplewithdisabilitiesareoftenattheforefrontoftechnology—thismakesaccessibilityevenmoreimportanttofocuson.

• Accessibilityisbecomingmoreandmoreofarequirementwhencreatingproducts.Onthecorporateside,businessesarehavingahardtimefindingpeoplewhoknowaboutaccessibility—weneedstudentstolearnaboutaccessibilitysotheycanfillthesejobs.

• Allofourfacultymustworkwithaninstructionaldesigner—alldesignersandfacultymustpassacourseonaccessibility.


• Allnewclasscontentshouldbeaccessibleand,asappropriate,includeaccessibilitytopics.• Thereneedstobeastrongermotivatorforfacultytomakeaccessibledocuments.Humanizing

disabilitymayencouragesomepeople.Bringingpeoplewithdisabilitiesintoclasstocentertheconversationaroundcanhelpfacultyandstudentsthinkmoreaboutaccessibility.

• Serviceprovidersshouldhelpfacilitatetheconnectionsbetweenfacultyandstudentswithdisabilities.

Transition Issues Panel: What are the ICT Issues Related to Transition to Employment for Students with Disabilities? And How if at All Do Models and Frameworks Contribute to Resolving Those Issues?

ThispanelincludedHadiRangin,UniversityofWashington;MeganLawrence,Microsoft;PatriciaMalik,UniversityofIllinois;andRajaKushalnagar,Gallaudet.

Belowaresomeoftheresponsestothequestion,whatshouldbeconsideredforstudentswhoneedICTwhentransitioningtoemployment?

• It’sdifficulttodecidewhethertodiscloseadisabilityornot—Ioftenfeellikethiscanchangetheconversationormakepeopleuncomfortable.Ithinkifthegeneralpubliclearnedmoreaboutdisability,peoplewouldbebetterequippedtotalkaboutaccommodations.

• Peoplewithdisabilitiesoftenhavetwojobs—onejobistheiractualjob,andthesecondistoraiseawarenessandeducatetheircoworkersabouttheirdisability.

• Peopleusesocialmediatopromotetheirown“personalbrand”—havingabadsocialmediapresencecanaffectgettinghired.

• Thehiringprocessisoftennotfullyaccessible.Thesestepsshouldbeevaluatedforaccessibility,andalternativemethodsshouldbeavailableasnecessary.

• Weneedadiverseworkforce—ifwedonothaveaccessiblehiringprocesses,thenwearesellingoursocietyshort.

• Inhighereducation,studentsaregivenaccommodations.Intheworkplace,oftenanemployeemayhavetofightforthetoolstheyneed.Ifacompanyhasequipmentthatdoesn’tworkwithaccessibletechnology,whatdoestheemployeedo?

• Wehostanetworkingeventthatinvitescompaniesandstudentswithdisabilitiestocometogethertoshareamealandlearnmoreabouteachother.Thiscanbothhelpintroduceemployerstopotentialemployeesandbreakthestigmaaboutdisabilities.

• Choosingwhentodiscloseaninvisibledisabilityisespeciallydifficult.• Somepeoplewithdisabilitiesareoftennotabletogetentrylevelpositionssincetheyaremore

laborintensive—thiscreatesmorebarrierstohiringapersonwithadisabilitysincetheycan’tgettheirfootinthedooratanearlystage.

• Workingcanoftenbeverydifferentfromschool—apersonmaynotknowexactlywhattheyneedtobesuccessfulandmayneedtolearnwhatworksforthem.

• Peoplewithdisabilitiesaremoresuccessfuliftheyhavealliesingettingtheiraccommodations.Thismightbetheirmanagerorsomeoneinhumanresources(HR).

• Inthetechfielditcanbeevenhardertofindanappropriatesignlanguageinterpreter,sincetheymaynotknowhowtosignthetechnicallanguage.

• Weneedtoempowerstudentstoasktherightquestions.Askifthereisaresourcegrouporothergroupsthatcouldbejoined.


Followingaresomeoftheresponsestothequestion,whatITbarriersdidyoucomeintowhenyougotyourjob?

• Thehiringsoftwaredidn’tworkwithmyscreenreaderwhenItriedtoapplytothisjob.Furthermore,itwasn’tthatclearhowtoapplyotherwise.Ihadtoreachouttosomeoneintheorganizationtohelpmeapplyforthejob.

• Manypiecesoftechnologyonthejobcanbeinaccessible,andsometimesitcanrequireanaccommodationandfindingothersolutions.Sometimesjobswillsaytheyhaveasubcontractorcreatingthetechnology,sotheycan’tfixthoseissues.Thisthenbecomesaprocurementproblem.

• Onmycampus,wehaveanHRmoduleaboutdiversity,andthatmoduleisn’taccessible.Mycampusstatedtheygotthatmodulefromathirdpartyandthereforecan’tfixit.

• Weshouldbeproactiveinmakingsurewedon’tpurchaseinaccessibletoolsandsoftware.Vendorscanoftenbeworkedwithtomakesuretoolsareaccessibleorbecomeaccessiblewhenaproblemisfound.Addingaccessibilitytoacontractcanalsohelpkeepavendorontherightpathindesigninganaccessibleproduct.

Student Issues: Disabled Students Share Their Experiences of How the Support and Delivery of ICT Has Impacted Their Learning and Transitions Between Education Levels and to Employment

ThispanelincludedScottFerguson,ErikaTeasley,KWheeler,andEmanuelLin.

Belowaresomeoftheresponsestothequestion,whatareyourexperiencesofhowICThassupportedandimpactedyourlearningandtransitionsbetweeneducationlevelsandemployment?

• Ihadtotrainmyselfinascreenreaderandrefreshablebrailledisplay,whichhasverydifferentkeystrokesthanKoreantools.Ihaveauniquechallengeofnotonlybeingblind,butlearninganewlanguagewhenIcametoAmerica.

• IusedInspiration,organizationalsoftware,andItriedDragonNaturallySpeakingbackwhenitwasn’tasgoodasitisnowfordictation.

• IamDeafanduseacochlearimplantthathelpsmehearprettywellinquietenvironments.IusePidginAmericanSignLanguage(ASL)andaphonetotext.

• I’vebeenusingtechnologyinschoolsincethirdgradewhenIstartedusingthecomputertotypesinceitwasalotfasterthanwriting.I’veusedalaptopmostofmyhighschoolcareer,andIgotaMicrosoftSurfaceincollege,whichwasmuchlighterandallowedmetousemytechnologyindependently.

• IgotasmallkeyboardthatIcouldtypeoninmiddleschoolthatIcouldusefornotesandessays,andIcouldplugitintoacomputertoprintitout.However,thismademathverydifficult.LaterIgotDragonNaturallySpeaking,whichwasnotveryeffectiveindoingmathematics.Ihavealwaysneededsomeonetoassistmeinwritingoutmath.Iamacomputerprogrammer,andIneedanassistanttohelpwriteoutsomeofmycode.Ihavehadmanychallengesinfindingandusingassistivetechnology.


Belowaresomeresponsestothequestion,ifyouaprofessorpostednotesbeforeclass,wouldthatalleviatethatneedforanotetaker?

• Thestudentwillvolunteertotakenotesandpostthemonlinewithdisabilityresourceservices.However,I’vehadteachersuseTopHat,whichisaprogramthatsendsoutslidestoanyone’sphonesandtablets,andpeoplecananswerquizquestionsduringthelecture.Thishasreallyhelped.

• Sometimesanotetakerwon’ttakenotesinthesamewayIwouldtakenotestaken,soIliketotakenotesaswellasgetthenotetaker’snotestofillintheblanksImissed.

• SonocentcansyncanaudiofilewitheachPowerPointslide,sothatIcanhearspecificteachercommentsforeachslide.

• SometeachingassistantswillagreetogivemenotesaslongasIdon’tsharethosenoteswithothers.

• Sometimeswhenslidesornotesarepostedinadvance,aprofessorwillgoofftheirplannedmaterials,andsoIdon’tgetnotesonthatcontent.SoevenifIgetnotesbeforehand,Istillneedanotetaker.

• IuseFMLandLightTechforanymathsubjectstotakenotes,buttheseweredeliveredafterlecture.IalsoconnectmyrefreshablebrailledisplayorhaveusedGoogleDocswheremynotetakerwilltypewhatisontheblackboardorscreenandIcanfollowtheflowoftheconversation.

Belowareresponsestothequestion,whatareyoursocialchallengesattheuniversityanddoestheinstitutionaddressanyofthosechallenges?

• I’vefortunatelynothadanysocialissues;itwaseasyformetomakefriends.• InK-12weallhadlunchtogether,butIcouldonlysitintheaccessibleseat.Thiscould

sometimesleadpeopletonotsitnearme.• Incollege,IrunaclubandItrytodesigneverythingtobeuniversallydesigned.Evenif

someonedoesn’trequestcaptionedvideosoranaccessiblelocation,Imakesurewetrytobeasaccessibleaspossible.

• AttheUW,wetrytohaveassistivetechnologyacrosscampussostudentscanmeetanywhereoncampusandnotjustonecomputerlab.

• Peoplecansometimesmakeassumptionsaboutmyabilities.Icantalkprettywellandhearokay,sopeoplesometimesassumeIdon’tneedmyASLinterpreter.PeoplecansometimesalsothinkI’mgoingtoslowthemdowningroupworkifweneedtousetheinterpreter,eventhoughIcanbringadifferentperspectivetothetable.

• Icanencounterinaccessibletechnology;ifaclassisfullyaccessible,Icanbefreeandfeelmoreconfidentinmywork.

• Ioftenfeelburdenedtopushpeopletousemoreaccessibletechnology,andthiscanmakemefeelguilty,evenifit’smyright.Ihavemadeconnectionswithotherblindstudentstofindsolutions.


Belowaresomeoftheresponsestothequestion,whoprovidesyouwithaccessibletechnologyanddoesthatchangeintransition?

• InhighschoolIalwayshadanASLinterpreter,anditwasDO-ITthattaughtmethatincollegetherewouldn’tjustbeaninterpreterinclass.Incollege,IhadtoproveIwasdeafandneededaninterpreterandmyotheraccommodations.IhadtoreallydecideonwhatIneededwhenIwenttodisabilityresourceservices.

• MostofmyhardwareIgotfromDO-IT;Iuseassistivefeaturesofmyphone.• MyinitialcomputerandassistivetechnologywereloanedtomebytheDepartmentof

Rehabilitation.WhenItransitionedtomyworkplace,theHRmanagerandmymanagerbothaskedmeifIneededanyassistivetechnologysotheycouldprovideitbeforeIcameonboard.

• IntheUS,highschoolsprovidemosttechnologyyouneed.Incollege,itcandependonthetechnology—attheAccessTechnologyCenterattheUWweprovidemanydifferenttypesofstandardassistivetechnologythatwecangivetostudents.Inemployment,itisuptotheemployertoprovidethetechnology.

• OftenK-12schoolswon’tletstudentstaketheirtechnologyhomefromschool,andthiscancreatebarriersfordoinghomeworkindependently.

• Foronlinelearning,theuniversityonlyhastoprovideasmuchtechnologyastheyprovidetoanyotherstudent—sincetheydon’tprovidecomputerstostudents,theydon’thavetoprovideassistivetechnologytostudentswithdisabilities.

Whenpanelistswereaskedabouttheirsuccessesandbarriersingettingaccommodationswhendoinganythingoutsideoftheclassroom,onepanelistreportedthatoutsideofclasswhetherhe/shecangetaninterpreterdependsonmakingarequestatleastaweekinadvance.Ifsomeonewantstomeetinanoisyarea,he/shemayrequestworkinginaquietstudyroomorrequestaninterpreter.

Responsesbelowaretothequestions:Whattypesoftexttospeechtechnologydoyouuse?andWhatplatformsdoyouusefore-books?

• IjustuseabasicPDFreaderandthedisabilityresourceserviceswillscanbookstome.• Ihaveissueswithformatting,sincethosecan’tbedeliveredeasierwithspeech.IuseJaws

andusespecificsoundsforboldoritalicsorplacement.ThatwayIcanknowthestructureofaprogram,sentence,ormathematicalequation.Sometimesheadingorcolorcanbringinformationtoareader.SinceIcan’tseethose,BRFformatforbraillecanhelpmegetsomemoreofthatinformationwhenreadingviabraille.

Participantsrespondedasfollowswhenaskedhowtheycopewhenthereisalotoftimeand/orstressingettingthetoolsoraccommodationstheyneed,whichcanaffectgrades?

• IjustmaketimeinmyscheduleeverydayjusttomakesureIhaveextratimetogetanythingIneed.Ihavetohaveaveryflexibleschedule.

• Iamusuallyatthemercyattheprofessor.SomeprofessorsarelenientandgivemeextratimeonhomeworkifIhaven’tgottenmyresourceyet.I’vehadprofessorsscantheirowntextbooksformeaswell.


Discussion SummariesParticipantswereaskedtoformsmallgroupstodiscussthefollowingquestions.Examplesofparticipantresponsesarelistedbelowthequestions.

What Models, Frameworks or Approaches They Use in Their Own Practice, How They Use Them, and the Factors That Influence the Value and Utility of the Models, Frameworks or Approaches

• Thereisnotanyonemodelthatanyuniversityisusing.Usingthemicro,miso,andmacrolevelallowsustothinkaboutourmodelsdifferently.

• Thereisavastdifferencebetweenhavingalawwhereaninstitutioncangetsued,verseaninstitutiondoingsomethingoutofthegoodnessofitsownheart.Whatcanweusetomotivateinstitutions,companies,andpeople?

• Astechnologymovesforward,thingscanbemademoreaccessibleeasier,buttherewillalsobemoretobemadeaccessible.

• Litigationandotherbigeventscancauseacultureshifttomovetowardsaccessibility.Facultywon’tprioritizeaccessibilitywithoutareasonorreward.

• StandardizationiseasierwithinK-12duetostateandfederalstandardsandexpectedstudentcompletion.Eachpost-secondaryinstitutioncanoftenrunthingsdifferently.

• Academicfreedomshouldbeoverriddenbytheneedforaccesstocontent.• Therecanbeanabsenceoftoolsthatcanbeusedtomakeproductsaccessiblebydefault.All

thesoftwarethatcomesoncomputerstodaydoesnothavegoodaccessibilitybuilt-in,andsoftwareneedsusertrainingtomakedocumentsaccessible.


• Iusuallydon’thavetimetothinkaboutthereasonsbehindwhatIdo.WekeptcomingbacktotheideaofuniversaldesignandhowWCAG2.0canbemaderelevanttomakingallwebcontentaccessible.

• “Everydayaccessibility”asanideafortheworkwearedoingeverydayandhowwearespecificallygettingtheworkdone.

• Whatisthefunctionorpurposeofamodel?Toexplainfunctionalityofpracticeorisittocreatebetterpractice?Ifamodelistoexplainpractice,itneedstoobserveactualpracticeinsteadofjustcreatetheideaofapractice.

• Standardscansometimesbecreatedwithoutmeetingtheaudiencethemessageormodelisfor.Standardsneedtobepragmaticandpalatable.

• Optimalaccessibility—wecanhaveagoalforidealpractice,butalsounderstandwhatisrealisticforpractice.Wedon’twanttosetsomethingasunachievable,becausethennoonewilleventry.

• Thereisalotoftensionsbetweenthetwoextremes—fromthemedicalmodeltothesocialmodel,oracademicfreedomandstandards.

• Studentscanbeagreathelpinmovingthegrassrootsmovementfurther.Often,accessibilityissuesareleftontheshouldersofindividualstudents.Instead,wewanttohelpstudentsandmoveforwardasagroup,creatingacoalitiontoadvocateforaccessibility.

Should we be using models and frameworks, or should we ditch this conversation entirely?

• I’mnotsureifthemodelsorframeworkshelp,butwithoutthem,wewouldhavenowaytoshareidealsandmethodsofpractice.

• Ifamodelistooprescriptive,ittakesawaytheneedoffreedomwithinaculture.Noteverypartofamodelisgoingtobeworkedoutinthesameway.Modelsneedtobeadaptableforavarietyofculturesandenvironments.Therewillprobablyneverbeonemodelforall.

• Eventuallyyoucanputahypothesisintoamodelandlookattheefficacyofamodel.Youcannevertestamethodifyoudon’thaveamodelforit.Modelscanbeusedtotrainandbuildaround.TeachabilityandTestability.

• Accessibilityis,atheart,acomplianceissue.Securityalsois,atitsheart,acomplianceissue.Bymakingamoregeneralizedcomplianceroadshow,bypartneringwithgeneralcouncilandriskmanagement,wecanbroadenourteamtomoveaccessibilityfurther.

• Wenowhaveacomplianceversesocialjustice,ormoralissueverseeconomicissue.Thereareavarietyof“hammers”tousetopromoteaccessibility,andwedon’tknowwhichmethodistherightwaytogo.

• Modelscangrowandchange—theyarenotstagnantdisciplinestobeusedornotused.• Facultyoftenwanttoseeexamples.Ifamodelisjustatheory,it’shardertogetpeopletosign

onboardwithtryingit.• Ifwewerebringinganideatoafullynewcountrywithnobackground,howwouldwestartit

orbringittothem?Whatburdensdowecarrywithusthatareavoidedelsewhere?• Maybeinsteadofonemodel,weneedmanymicromodels.Inaccessibilityislikeacancer—and

thereisn’tonewaytotreatorpreventcancer.Maybeweneedmanywaystotreatandpreventinaccessibility.

• Low-hangingfruitcanbehiteasier.Myunitofferedtoopenthedoortofixeasyissues(creatingtemplates,cleaningcode,creatingaccessiblePDFs,etc.),andthatreallyinvitedpeopletocomeinandtrytofixtheseproblems.


World CaféParticipantswereaskedtoreadandwritetheirresponsesandreactionstosevenstatements(derivedfromthepreviousdayandhalfofdiscussions).Thestatementswererotatedaroundthetablessothatparticipantscouldaddtheirownresponsestotheoriginalquestionandrespondtotheresponsesofothersiftheywished.Questionsfocusedonwhatresearchisneededtoresolvetheissueshighlightedinrelationtomodelsandframeworks;whatisneededtomovepracticeforwardandhowresearchandpracticemightinformoneanother?

Eachstatementispresentedbelowandfollowedbysomeoftheresponses.

An important part of the solution to accessibility and inclusion is to adopt both a top-down and bottom-up approach.

• Revolvingdoorofchampions/administrators• YES• Breakthatglassceiling,butIthinkthat’sonlypossiblefromthetop• Who’sthechangeagent?Spendtimeconvincingthem?• Clearstatementfromthe“top”mightreallyhelpthoseatthe“bottom”• Resetthepyramid!• Absolutely-thisishowsystemchangehappens.OnewithouttheotherisonlyaBand-Aid.• Horizontalapproach,solidaritynotcharity


• Yes.Byusingtwooppositeapproachesyouencouragepeopleatalllevelstobeinvolved.Thisalsocontributestomorediverseperspectivesbeingexpressedandtakenintoaccountthroughouttheprocess.Follow-upquestiontothinkabout...Whentryingtoimplementabottom-upapproach,howdoyougetthestudentswhoaretraditionallyinamorequiet,insubordinateroletocreateapushforchange?

• Ibelieveinbottom-up• Givethe“bottom”representation• Does“bottom”includestudentsandconsumers?• Definitelyagreed!However,“top”needstobefullyactiveandengagedwiththe“bottom”=

communication+collaborationbetweenthetwo• Triedthebottom-upmodelformanyyears.Readytomovetotop-down.Conclusion-you

needbothastheybringdifferentaspectstothesolutiontoaccessibility/inclusion• Someschoolscandotop-downbutanyschoolcandobottom-up• Value• Therecanbetwotops,1Government,2.Organizational• Flexibility,balance• Externalforces...Government,compliance• Bothareimportant-itcandependontheinstitutionwhichworksbest• Ofcourse!Theremustbehighestlevel(funder/government)supportallthewaydowntothe

individuals.Requestaninputonaccessibilityneedstopushfrombothdirections.• Weneedbuy-in• (Hierarchyandequality)notonlyasachainprocess,butinterlinkedandinter-active.

Governmenttoleadershiptofacultytostaff,studenttofacultytoleadershiptogovernment,societyuseofICTexchange

• Iagree.Wouldalsoliketoseepeopleattopexplaintheirpositiontothoselowerdownandvice-versa,frombottomup

• Resourcesandexternaldrivers(legal,etc.)

A successful model for framework is one that stimulates a post-secondary education (PSE) institution to transform its systems and processes rather than enables it to carry on doing what it already does.

• Stimulatespositivechange• Modelcanbeaspirational• Amodelcanbeaninspiration• Amodelshouldeducateandbenotassumepriorknowledge• IlikewhatRobertPrisigdiscussesinLilawherehetalksaboutbothstaticanddynamic

quality;whatneedstostayinfunctionwhilechangingcellstructureregularly• Maybeboth!1)Candescribecurrentprocesses2)couldbedesignedtopurposesystemic

change.Soaninstitutionthatwantstochangeshouldhave2models/frameworkstodescribewhatisstatusandwhatisdesired

• Withevaluationofresultsofchange


• Yes!Nothingshouldbe“enabled”-institutionsshouldalwaysaimforallstudentstohavefullyequalandsuccessfulparticipationofallstudents.Amodelshouldsetanexamplethataninstitutioncanfollow

• Whenthereisbuy-inYES!• Developingtheframework/modelcanstillserveasasourceofstimulationforthePSE.The

processisimportant.• Domodelsstimulatechange?Ordomodelschangebecausetheyrespondtowhatischanging

“outthere”(e.g.,newtechnology)• Amodelorframeworkhelpstostructureprocess,communication,responsibilities,criteria,

indications,measurements,etc.• Itispossiblethatasuccessfulmodelisinplace.Ischangeneededthen?• Theframework/modelcan’tbeimposedbutmustbecreatedwithinthePSEcommunityitself• Whydoesithavetobeeitherorwhycan’twestimulatenewandsupportwhatworks• Amodelshouldbeusedasaguidelineforstep-by-stepbestpractices• Arethereanytrulysuccessfulmodels?Aren’tthemodelsallmoreoftheoriesabouthow

somethingcouldwork?Whodecideswhatissuccessful/effective?Whatifwhatitalreadydoesismoreeffectivethanimplementingaspecificmodel

• Idon’tthinkwehavetrulysuccessful,appropriate,andeffectivemodels.Iftherewereourworkwouldhavebeendone.

We need to develop our existing models and frameworks rather than come up with new ones.

• Ifourcurrentmodelworkedwewouldn’tbehere• Canweuseexistingmodelstoinspirenewmodels?• Needstoadjusttochange• Weneedboth—Whyconstrainourselveseitherway?• Whatareourexistingmodels?• IagreethatweshouldfurtherdevelopexistingmodelsandframeworksBUTweneedto

respondtomissingcontextanddevelopnewones• Modelsneedtimetogrowandmatureandtakeroot.Weneedtoreflectandassesswhetherthe

growthisstillguidingour.Wealsoneedtoconsiderthechangingaudienceforthemodels…theearlyadoption/innovationsvs.themorecautiousadopterandslowtochange

• HYBRIDofoldandnew• Learnfromexistinganddecidethen-ifneededrestartcompletelynew• Theoryvs.practice>thatisthequestion.Weneedtorespectourdifferentorientationsanduse

themtohaveabalancedapproach.Thustheoryandpractice=model• Cansharingofourgoodpracticecreatemodels• Maybestopworryingaboutmodelsandabstractionsandmoredailypractice.• Weneedtodevelopourexistingmodelstoensurethattheyareeffective.However,using

thesamemodelallofthetimeriskbecomingoutdatedandirrelevantinthepresenceofnewtechnology

• Whatcomesoutofourdailypractice?• Atwhatpointdowedecideanapproachisbroken?Whenlitigationappears?


Adopting both a reactive and proactive approach to accessibility and inclusion is the best approach.

• Proactivelyreactive-anticipateproblemsevenifyouareproactive• Planfortheproactive.Bereadyforthereactive-shouldbepartoftheproactiveplan• Hybrid• Someneedsinsomecontextscannotbeanticipated.• Needtoplanforreactiveprocesses-needfullresourceandsupport• Needtomonitorandmeasurereactiveprocessestoseeiftheyshouldbepartofreactiveor

becomepartofproactive• Whodetermineswhatreactiveandproactiveis?Itshouldbemorethanblackandwhite!We

needgrey!• Proactiveisalwaysbetterbutreactiveapproachesmustbequick-liketheU.S.DigitalService

ortheUKGovernmentDigitalService-aquickturn-around-nowaitinglists• Proactiveisthegoal.Reactiveis(andprobablywillalwaysbe)anecessity.• Thereisstillaplaceforbothbutweshouldaspiretojusthavingaccessibilitywithout

remediationoraccommodation.• Buildinevaluations!Checkpoints.• Reactivecomesfromnotbeingproactive.• Proactiveandreactiveapproachesareimportant-Proactive:thinkofpossibleissuesthatcould

arise.Reactive:thinkingonyourfeet;reactingatthetime.Youcannotanticipateeverypossibleissue,butsomeissuescanbeavoidedorhaveamoreeffectivesolutionwithmoreforethought.Approachescanbemore/lesseffectivefordifferentsituations/environments/population.Proactiverequiresagreaterbaseofknowledgeinthebeginningonacontinuum.

• Explorethelimitsofbothapproaches.Whatisbetterdoneproactively?Whatisbetterdoneinreactionto?

• Proactivealwaysisthebestapproach.However,sometimesyouwillhavereactiveapproachesifthesituationisunusualorunexpected.

• Navigatebureaucracy• Proactivityis#1andReactivityis#2becausesometimesitmightbetoolatetoreact.• Learnfromthereactivecasesforcontinualimprovement.• Ifnotproactive,willalwayshavetobereactive.• Whoisproactiveorreactive?Staff,faculty,student,leadership?• Proactivewouldbebestbutwewillalwayshavetohaveareactiveapproach.• Sometimesareactiveapproachcanbebettertargetedatindividualrequirements• Proactiveinthewrongdirectioncanbindresources(waste),whichwouldbeneededelsewhere

(reactive).• Proactiveapproachisnotwelldeveloped.• Rapidresponsecannotalwayspredictnewnecessity.• Firepreventioneducation-firegetsout,run,putitout• Yes,UDandATandotheraccommodations• Technologychangesrapidly• Wehavenochoicebuttohavebothtoaddressallproblems.


The only models worth having or developing are those that are testable.

• Everymodelshouldbeabletomeasure• Bytestable-ifyoumeanvalidatedthat’snotimportantforme.Ifyoumeanuseable-that’s

critical.Formeamodelneedstogobeyondtheory.Infact,somemodelsmaycomeoutofpractice-thusalready“tested.”Areusedto“describe”what’salreadybeendonesootherscanreplicateit.

• Iagree• Agreed!• Diversifydata,notnumbers,butotherthings• Needtoevaluateoutcomeofuseofmodel• Canweisolate?Canwetestasitishardtoisolate?Testingthemodelofoutcomesaretwo

differentthings.• No:modelcanserveasanaidforthinking,developing,describing.• Itisalwaysgoodtoevaluatewhatyouaredoingsothatyoucalladaptive/improvewith

feedback• Someactionshavepositivetangibleoutcomeswithnoneedtoaccuratelymeasurethose.Do

weneeda98.2%levelofcompassionorcouldwejustbecontentwithanunspecifiedincreaseincompassion?

• I’munclearonthestatement.Whatdoesanuntestablemodellooklike?Wouldn’tanybetestable?

• Weneedtooptimizethemodel-weneedtodefinethecomponents.Maybeifwecantestcomponentsinanexpectedmodelitlookweevaluatecomponents?

• Modelcomponents-define-test.• Peoplearenotalwaysdata• Always!Never!• Whodefines“testable”?Howexactlydoyoudeterminehowwellitdoesonthistest?Ifmodels

aremainlytheories,Ithinkitisimportanttodevelopanyeffectivemodelsinordertotakeotherideas/perspectivesintoaccount.Maybeamodelisn’ttestablenow,butitmaybewhenbuiltuponorinthefuture.

• Itdependsonhowwedefinemodels!Ithinkthereisanimportantroleformodelstoexpandourvisionofwhatwecanbeanddo…soIdisagree.

• Sometimesthereallyimportantthingscannotbetested!Maybeindicatorsifatall!• Workononethingatatimevs.allatonce.• Canbeevaluated?• Shouldbetestableotherwisehowdoweknow?• Costseffectivemodel-measuresuccess• People,technology,userskills• Studentfeedback-qualitative,quantitative• Whataretesting?• Isn’tanythingtestablewithsomethoughtandcreativity?• Canitbereplicatedindifferentsettings?• Untrue-they’realsogoodfordocumentingprocessesandpractices.Thepracticeoutputsand

outcomesshouldbemeasurable.


• Bizarre• Modelsusedasastrategyhavetoprovetheirusefulness-notuseful?Comeinwitha

different/bettermodel• Howdowemeasure“affective”benefitsofUDL?• “Gotnodata?Itdidn’thappen.”• Datadrivenprocessesneededtomeasureresults;tocomeupwithdirectionsforfuture

developmentandresearch.

We don’t need one single model or framework, we need different ones for different problems, contexts or audiences.

• Comfortlevelchangesbasedoncontext• Maybeonecommonframeworkortemplatethatprovidesthestructureformultiplemodels

tofitinto.Thatwaywe’llhaveacommonlanguagefordiscussionbutrelevancefordifferentcontextsandaudiences.

• Hybrid.• Anissuewithmultiplemodelsischoosingbetweenthem!purpose/context/audienceneedsto

beclearlydescribed• Standards-customized-localization-possibilities---->choosewhatworks• Weneedconstantreflectionandupdatingofdynamicmodels/frameworks• …butelementsofagoodprocessmodelcouldworkinavarietyofcontexts• Asetofmodelswhicharecompatible.Developmentalmodels<--->Modelsofoperation.

Modelsneedtobeadjustabletocontext.XXXmodel• Ithinkthisisanimportantpoint.Weneedmultiplemodelstofitdifferentproblems…but

therehastobeaunifyingvalueortheory.Theyhavetobecompatible.• Arethesechangesjustdifferentcomponentsofamodel?Butonemodelunlikely.• Need:Micro,meso,macromodelswithdifferentlenses/foci/contextsno“ringtorulethem

all”“Bestpractices”/complianceisamodel• Iliketheconceptoflevelsofmodels.Havingoneoverarchingmodelwiththecapacitytobe

adaptedinvariousscenarioscanbeusefulforgivinggroupsastartingpointandanideaofhowtoadjusttomeettheirspecificneeds

• Ithink“bestpractices”arebuildingblocksformodelsbutnotanactualmodel• Iamreallynotsure.Ifonemodelisflexibleenough,perhapsoneisenough.Butavery

inflexiblemodelwillbreakliketheTacoma-NarrowsBridge!Howdowebalancebeingprescriptiveenoughtobeuseful,butflexibleenough?

• Somemodelswillbeinherently“better”--whoandhowthat’sdecidedisalsoanimportantconsideration

• Somethinghastobesettohaveamodel• Everyoneneedstosaysamethingforamodeltowork• Idon’tseehowyoucanhavejustonemodel-thingsneedtobeflexible/adaptabletoapplyat

avarietyofplaces• Anoverarching,broadframeworkcouldinformmultipletailoredmodels• Woulda“meta-model”beanoption?Whendowedrop/delete“unusable”models?• Howaremodelsdeveloped?Whatkindofdataisused?• What’sthefocusandthefunctionofmodels?Whoissupposedtousethemodel?


We need a model that will guide senior managers regarding best practice in relation to policy, strategy and governance.

• Well-thoughtoutguidelinesthatincludetheopinions/thoughtsofpeoplew/disabilities(insteadof/asamodel)

• Theadministrationneedstohavehumanexperiencetoseetheimpact.• 1stneedthemtoembracea11y+UD.• Seniormanagersneedknowledgeandneedtobeabletoexpandtheirknowledge• Openmindedandwillingtochange• Amodelorasetofprinciples• Nevermetaseniormanagerwhodevelopedpolicies,strategiesbasedonamodelof

accessibilitytoIT.Maybe,budgetstudentsuccess,unions,etc.• Doyounger/lowerlevelmanagersnotneedanyguidance?Whydoweneedtocalloutspecific

manager,ratherthanimplementingtrainingforallmanagers/workers?• Modelscannotcaptureeverything,needtoconveytomanagementimportanceofaccessibility.

Otherwise,theywillworkaroundproblemswithmodelasaguide.• Worries-becomes“alltalk”notaction.• Checklistapproach• Centralizedaccommodationssupportimplementation• Importantforinstitutionspecificdrivescanbeaccountedfor.• Staff/HRpolicy• Whatmodelsarenormal/acceptableforthisaudience?(business/managementstyleof

models?)• Whatisamodel?Wouldn’tapolicyorguidelinework?• Thismodelhastobeembracedbyabroader,institutionalcommunity.• Modelistoostaticaconceptintermsofwhatwouldhelpseniormanagers-processsounds

moredynamicandflexible.• PolicyLeadershipPurchasingTrainingRemediationRetentionRequirement• Seniormanagersseemtobedrivenmorebymetrics(success,budget)thanmodels.

Accessibilityisdifficulttomeasureforthemostpart.Thispresentsachallengesellingittoexecs.

• Broadmodels“sotheyareapplicable”• Informmodel• Departmentpolicies• Defineoperationalizing-bestpractice-policy-governance-strategy• Managerstrainingstrategies(people)• Mustbecontinuoustraining--->realoutcomes• Howtomeasureoutcomes• Iappreciatethefocusonpracticeasitinformspolicy• Needstobeuniquetoeachschool.


Overview of World Café Outputs and Discussion on Where to Go Next Regarding Research Plans for the GroupFacilitatedbyJane

Questionspresentedfollowedbysomeoftheresponsesarepresentedbelow.

What have you gotten out of the last few days, what are your thoughts on models and their use? Where are they too theoretical and where are they practical? Where does it lie for top-down and bottom-up, or proactive verse reactive? What are the conclusions we’ve come up with?

• Weneedmoredata—theefficacyofmodelsandaccessibilityshouldbebasedondata.• Whatcountsasdata?Dataisnotnecessarilynumbers,itcanbeobservablepracticeor

interviews,oritcanbedifferentstatisticsbasedonstudies.• InthepaperIwrote,the9modelsIidentified,somewerepullingfromcasestudies.Doesthat

countasdata?• Makingaccessibilityimprovementsisdifficult,becauseaccessibilityisnotaswitchthatcanbe

turnedonandoff.Wedon’tknowifaproductwilleverbeperfectlyaccessible.Accessibilityisaprocess.It’shardtocollectdataonaprocessandanimprovement.

• Wehadadiscussionabouthowdatacanbemeasuredasusersandastechnology.There’swaytomeasureatoolorawebsitebutmeasuringpeopleisharder.Separatingthesetwomaybenecessary.

• Dowewantdatatodevelopmodelsordatatoevaluatemodels?It’skindofthechickenandtheeggscenario.

• Wearen’tnecessarilymeasuringaccessibility,buttheeffectivenessofamodel.• Amodelhassomefactstomeasure.Forexample,ifyou’reapplyinguniversaldesigntoa

course,youcouldmeasurehowstudentsdoinacourseversestudentswhoaren’tgivenuniversaldesigninacourse.

• Seniormanagementisnotdrivenmymodels,butmymetrics.Measuringaccessibilityisdifficult.Seniormanagementwantstoknowthenumberofaccessibilityissueswithinasoftware,notanabstractdiscussionaboutmodels.

• Ifwehaveamodelandwetrytoimplement,wecanmeasurehowwellweimplementsomethingbutnotnecessarilymeasuringthemodelitself.Wecanmakeaconclusionbasedonhowwellthemodelisimplementedormethodsofimplementationbutnotthemodelitself.

• Doesthisassumethemodelisworking?• Butiftheconceptisimplemented,thenIcanmeasureonlythatimplementationnottheactual

conceptitself.Ifsomeoneimplementsitadifferentway,thenitmayworkbetterorworse.• Datathathelpsuscomeupwithmodels,datathattestsahypothesis,anddatathatevaluates

howweuseandimplementamodel.


What will you do when you go back to your day job?

• Asastudentleadingadisabilitiesgroup,thishasopenedmyeyesforhowwecanusetechnologyinourmeetings.We’venevertakenthetimetoseehowwecanbemoreinclusiveusingtechnology,andnowI’verealizedhowimportantitis.

• We’vebroughttogetherdifferentpeopleindifferentrolesandinterest.• Timeforustoreallystartcuratingthemodelsthatexist.Wehavealotoforganicmodelsbeing

usedwithoutlabelsornamesorinstruction.Itseemsimportantthatwespendsometimereallyanalyzingthisworkandreallysketchingoutwhatwe’redoingandhowwe’redoingitandwherewecanimproveorchange.

• Inoticedthatalotofusarearticulatingmodelseventhoughweneversawthemasmodelsbefore.Thereisaneedforcuratingthese“models.”

• Fundingcanbringweighttoitandhelpconnectinstitutions.CouldanorganizationlikeAHEADhelpcuratemodelswithininstitutions?Couldinstitutionsspendthetimesketchingoutwhattheyaredoingandcomparethem,throughanorganizationlikeAHEAD?Peoplecanoftencraveawaytohavetheirworkbeacknowledged,andthiscouldbeawayitisdone.

• Iwouldlovetotakeourdifferentpracticesthatareinplaceandmapthemtogetherandseehowtheycompare.

• Asateacher,Ihavewrittendownnotesaboutmyownteachingpracticesandhowtoimprovethose.Ihaveaclearerunderstandingofwheretogoinmyresearch,especiallyfromthepaneldiscussions.

• IwanttotalktomystudentswhoarestudyingICTandtechnologyandseeifIcanappealtothemonhowtheycanincludeaccessibilityintheirownteachingandeducationalpursuits.

• Fromastudentperspective,therearemanyinfluentialuniversaldesignmodels.Pleasedon’tregardastudentwithadisabilityasanaccessibilityspecialist—allpeoplewithdisabilitiesaredifferentandstudentswithdisabilitiesoftendon’tknowhowtoaccommodateothers,letaloneeventhebestwaytoaccommodatethemselves.

• LookatthemarriagebetweenICTandAT:iftheICTdoesn’thaveaccessibilityfeatures,itwillneedATtouseit.Forexample,IuseZoomorascreenreaderwhenusingGoogleDocs.SometimesATcancauseICTtomalfunctionorcrash.

• WehavespecificmodelsforUDL/UDI.Howtechnologyisactuallyusedwithinaspecificclass.IwanttohavetheguidelinestoanalyzewidelyusedtechnologiesinconjunctionwithATtobetterhaveanideaofhowitworksandcreatedataandaprofessionaljudgment/subjectivity.


Symposium ParticipantsStakeholdergroupsrepresentedinthesymposiumincluded

• studentserviceleadersandadministrators,• facultymembers,• students,and• professionalorganizations.

Thefollowingindividualsparticipatedinthesymposium.

KarenAlkobyGallaudetUniversityTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

ShannonAylesworthUniversityofWisconsin-MilwaukeeTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

CynthiaBennettUniversityofWashingtonTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

JeffreyBighamCarnegieMellonUniversityTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

LisaBrandtPortlandCommunityCollegeTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

ChristianBuehlerTechnicalUniversity,DortmundGermany


SherylBurgstahlerUniversityofWashingtonTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

AnneCarpenterTheEvergreenStateCollegeTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

DebCastiglioneUniversityofKentuckyTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

ChetzColwellTheOpenUniversity,UKUnitedKingdom

DanComdenUniversityofWashingtonTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

TimCoughlanTheOpenUniversity,UKUnitedKingdom

LylaCrawfordUniversityofWashingtonTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

MarkusDeimannFernUniversität,HagenGermany

JosephFeria-GaliciaUCBerkeleyTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

CatherineFichtenDawsonCollegeandMcGillUniversityCanada

BjörnFisselerFernUniversität,HagenGermany

AlanFoleySyracuseUniversityTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

AliceHavelDawsonCollegeCanada

DougHaymanUniversityofWashingtonTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

TaliHeimanTheOpenUniversity,IsraelIsrael

SamanthaJohnsPortlandStateUniversityTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

DanaKaspi-TsahorTheOpenUniversity,IsraelIsrael

LauraKingDawsonCollegeCanada

HowardKramerAHEAD/UniversityofColoradoTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

RajaKushalnagarGallaudetTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

MeganLawrenceMicrosoftTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

JonathanLazarTowsonUniversityTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

ElizabethLeeUniversityofWashingtonTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

EmanuelLinUCLATheUnitedStatesofAmerica


LynnLumensNorthCarolinaStateUniversityTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

PatriciaMalikUniversityofIllinoisTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

DoritOlenik-ShemeshTheOpenUniversity,IsraelIsrael

HadiRanginUniversityofWashingtonUnitedStatesofAmerica

GreyReavisNorthCarolinaStateUniversityTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

CyndiRowlandUtahStateUniversityTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

SallyScottAHEADTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

JaneSealeTheOpenUniversity,UKUnitedKingdom

JooYoungSeoPennsylvaniaStateUniversityTheUnitedStatesofAmerica

ChristianVinten-JohansenPennsylvaniaStateUniversityTheUnitedStatesofAmerica


ResourcesThefollowingareresourcesfromtheorganizationswithinthispartnershipandcollaboratorswhoattendedthesymposium.

Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology

www.uw.edu/doit

TheDO-IT(Disabilities,Opportunities,Internetworking,andTechnology)Centerisdedicatedtoempoweringpeoplewithdisabilitiesthroughtechnologyandeducation.Itpromotesawarenessandaccessibility—inboththeclassroomandtheworkplace—tomaximizethepotentialofindividualswithdisabilitiesandmakeourcommunitiesmorevibrant,diverse,andinclusive.

Adaptech Research Network

www.adaptech.org/

ThisNetworkconsistsofateamofacademics,studentsandconsumers.AdaptechconductsresearchinvolvingcollegeanduniversitystudentswithavarietyofdisabilitiesinCanada.AdaptechisbasedatDawsonCollegeinMontrealandhasbeeninexistencesince1996.

http://www.uw.edu/doit

http://www.adaptech.org/


Securing Greater Accessibility

www.open.ac.uk/iet/main/quality-enhancement/accessibility-and-usability/securing-greater-accessibility-sega

AprogramofworkembeddingaccessibilityfordisabledstudentsintothecurriculumatTheOpenUniversity,UK.TheworkincludesanAccessibilityReferralsPanel,andtrainingforFacultyAccessibilitySpecialists.

Additional Resources provided by Jonathan Lazar

MakingtheFieldofComputingMoreInclusive:ArticlepublishedinCommunicationsoftheACMaboutmakingthefieldofcomputingmoreinclusiveforpeoplewithdisabilities.PlusanadditionalvideoonYoutube.

cacm.acm.org/magazines/2017/3/213827-making-the-field-of-computing-more-inclusive/fulltext

JonathanLazar:LockedOut-InvestigatingSocietalDiscriminationagainstPeoplewithDisabilitiesDuetoInaccessibleWebsites(video).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB3EbVpiPeY

Lazar,J.,Goldstein,D.F.,&Taylor,A.(2015).Ensuringdigitalaccessibilitythroughprocessandpolicy.Amsterdam;Boston:MorganKaufmannElsevier.

www.elsevier.com/books/ensuring-digital-accessibility-through-process-and-policy/lazar/978-0-12-800646-7

Lazar,J.,Stein,M.A.,&Brewer,J.(Eds.).(2017).Disability,humanrights,andinformationtechnology.Philadelphia:UniversityofPennsylvaniaPress.

AccessibilityinITProcurement

www.nascio.org/Content/Publications-View/PID/652/evl/0/CategoryID/4/CategoryName/Accessibility

http://www.open.ac.uk/iet/main/quality-enhancement/accessibility-and-usability/securing-greater-accessibility-sega

http://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2017/3/213827-making-the-field-of-computing-more-inclusive/fulltext

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB3EbVpiPeY

http://www.elsevier.com/books/ensuring-digital-accessibility-through-process-and-policy/lazar/978-0-12-800646-7

http://www.nascio.org/Content/Publications-View/PID/652/evl/0/CategoryID/4/CategoryName/Accessibility


AcknowledgmentsFundingprovidedbyTheLeverhulmeTrustandAccessComputing(NationalScienceFoundationGrant#CNS-1539179).Anyopinions,findings,andconclusionsorrecommendationsexpressedinthismaterialarethoseofthesymposiumpresentersandprojectstaffanddonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsofthefunders.

Copyright2017UniversityofWashington.Permissionisgrantedtocopythispublicationforeducational,noncommercialpurposes,providedthesourceisacknowledged.

Symposium One: Effective Models, Frameworks, and Approaches

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Transcript of Symposium One: Effective Models, Frameworks, and Approaches