The Importance of Accessibility in the Design of Schools
All students should find their education difficult. If it weren’t, pupils wouldn’t have much of a reason to keep improving their knowledge and skills beyond what was absolutely essential. Adversity in the classroom, however, is not always intellectual in the conventional sense or even desirable.
The learning process creates issues for more than 7 million students in the US between the ages of 3 and 21 that can’t be as easily resolved by normal study regimens or frequent practice exams. Since the circumstances vary, so do the difficulties. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which generally covers around 13 major kinds of disabilities that negatively impair learning, provides services to these kids.
Why is it important to focus on accessibility in the design of schools?
Approximately 14% of all public-school enrollments, or a sizable fraction of the whole student body in the US, are made up of students who fall into at least one of these categories, according to the most current statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics. However, a lot of kids and their parents believe that they did not get the necessary help throughout high school, which has an impact on both academic achievement and post-secondary chances.
Only 30% of educators believe they could effectively educate kids with learning disabilities, which is in line with the general consensus. Many people believe that education is an attempt to fit round pegs into square holes as a consequence.
This is concerning given the detrimental impact that a learner’s education could suffer from a lack of knowledge. However, the notion that individuals with learning disabilities are inherently less skilled academically has to be disproved. All pupils receive and react to information differently.
Special education attorney Kitty Cone writes an eye-opening piece for the Hechinger Report with the statement, “For many children with impairments, they’re capable of much more than their schools give them credit for.” While the article looks at a number of specific situations, it also provides proof of the school system’s shortcomings that goes beyond anecdotal. One startling statistic is that just 65% of special education students in the US finish on time, compared to an 83 percent on-time graduation rate for US students as a whole.
The consequences of educational accessibility issues
DirectAccess noted that Opportunity is the clear victim of the alleged shortcomings. Students with learning disabilities are less likely than students without learning disabilities to finish higher education and are also less likely to find jobs.
In contrast to the 71 percent of individuals without a learning impairment, just 46% of working-age adults report being employed. In addition, among those having jobs, 67% earned $25,000 or less annually within eight years after their high school graduation. For high school graduates, the typical annual pay is $30,500.
However, the effects of a subpar educational system on the lives of individuals with disabilities transcend beyond the academic and financial. The societal impact of this byproduct is yet another terrible side effect.
A bad educational experience will affect a learner’s attitude on how others may see them as well as how they view themselves. This may help to explain why just 24% of young people with learning impairments notify postsecondary institutions about their learning requirements, and why even fewer (19%) of individuals with learning disabilities disclose their condition to their employers.
Why can’t education meet students’ needs?
It is crucial that enough resources be allocated to special needs education since it is an undeniably difficult field. Although the IDEA requires the federal government to pay up to 40% of the “extra expense” associated with teaching kids with learning impairments, this goal has not yet been met.
This has the knock-on consequence that school districts must bear the cost if they can. Those who are unable to close the budget gap must make do with instructors who lack the expertise necessary to effectively serve students with learning difficulties. As a consequence, the quality of special education services varies greatly from one district to the next.
But in a time of rapid technological advancement, technology has shown promise in finding answers to the challenging issues posed by learner variety. Undoubtedly encouraged by the hype around “personalized learning,” more schools are embracing technology to provide their pupils a better educational experience.
It makes sense why they would be eager to do so. A fantastic chance to democratize education and reduce the pressure on overworked employees is provided by educational technology. As an example, certain kids with learning difficulties can need additional time on assessments. Using assessment tools, instructors may simply provide students access to such personalized settings. Additionally, they provide faster marking and distribution of tests on a larger scale.
However, the promise of democratization offered by assessments and other forms of edtech would be dashed if they are not made adequately available to all students. It might be challenging to withstand but harder to satiate the strong yearning for acceptable answers.
Ensuring accessibility for all students with disabilities
One way to think about accessibility in education is as a two-way mirror. On the one hand, students must have easier access to the course materials. On the other hand, if learners are to reach their full potential, instructors must have access to their genuine talents.
There are innumerable instances of brilliant individuals who made their mark on the world despite having a learning handicap or showing signs of one. Albert Einstein is a prime example. Although he revealed ideas that changed the world, some have stated that it is quite likely he had a learning problem. One of the greatest brains in Western civilization, Isaac Newton, is said to have experienced this as well. Additionally, more academics are supporting the theory that the maestro of dynamic color, Vincent van Gogh, was also colorblind.
But all of this is in the past. How many distinct skills are presently being wasted due to a lack of tools or resources? How many chances are missed to just improve one’s quality of life? While keeping this in mind, it is important to focus on ensuring accessibility for all students.