How Assistive Tech Gave Me a Voice — and a Diploma

When educators begin teaching students with physical disabilities, there can be misconceptions that affect how they perceive these students' intelligence and educational capabilities. This can significantly impact a student's self-esteem and academic performance. 

Take me, for example: I was born physically disabled in China, where it is widely believed that I and other people with disabilities should not be educated because we are not considered "normal" or capable of learning.

Not only is this misconception damaging (for me and others with disabilities), it disregards the fact that people with disabilities have proven time and again that a disability is not a marker for performance in school — or any other regard. By making educational content accessible, we empower all students to succeed and ensure they have equal opportunities in the classroom. Having recently graduated high school, I wanted to share some of the tools that helped me complete this milestone and make a case for why accessibility in the classroom is so important.

1. Communication Devices

My disability prevents me from walking and speaking in a standard way, but that does not hold me back from sharing my intelligence. My first academic year was challenging because my teachers had no way of gauging my previous education and how much I really understood. This all changed when I received my first communication device when I was nine-years-old. 

The communication device changed my life because I had the capability to ask questions about what I was learning, rather than educators assuming what I had learned. It allowed my teachers to better understand how much I already knew, and what they still had to teach me. More than that, I could finally communicate with people and began to build friendships with others. By providing me with the assistive technology that gave me a voice and have input, I was able to keep up with my studies while being able to finally socialize with my new classmates.

2. Online Accessibility Tools

Another example of assistive technology that allowed me to participate fully in school is my computer. Personally, I’ve found it helpful that computers have screenreaders and voice-to-text features. These allow the computer to read to me, which is helpful if there is a lot of text to read. By giving me access to a computer with accessibility tools installed out of the box, I am able to write effectively while also being able to research the web fully. 

3. Bluetooth Adapter

The final tool that helped me succeed in the classroom is my Bluetooth adapter. Bluetooth has helped link my computer and my communication device together as one cohesive unit. This is beneficial to me because it takes me a long time to type a whole sentence on the computer, one letter at a time. The adapter allows me to speed up my typing because I can use the communication device to type my paper instead of my built-in computer keyboard, making it easier for me to prove my abilities in writing.

What’s Next for Accessibility in the Classroom?

With all of these advances, there are some areas that need to be improved upon, especially in web-based accessibility. For example, I struggle with navigating my study materials for midterm tests and final exams. The websites where the study materials are hosted are hard to get to, and there are no accessibility toolbars on the websites. 

One way to fix this would be to place clear links to study materials throughout the homepage. This will make it easier for someone, whether they are a screen reader user or not, to find the study materials faster. Additionally, a developer can put an accessibility toolbar on the page to allow someone with physical or cognitive disabilities to customize their accessibility options and make the content easier to navigate for their needs. 

Another area for improvement on educational sites would be to make the sign-in process easier. Because I use a communication tool, it can be challenging for me to input the correct password when passwords are required to be so complex. One small mistake, like an uncapitalized letter or a "4" instead of a "$" could lock me out of the website.

When it comes to test taking, my high school tests were inaccessible because the answer bubbles were so small that they were hard to see. Without accessibility options to change the size of radio buttons, it can make it challenging to actually complete the test. If developers took the time to help me increase the size of text and to allow room for error if I do not click the right button, it would make test taking much easier for me and many other people with disabilities. However, knowing my educational portals are accessible gives me the peace of mind to focus on the test itself.

My goal is to change people's perceptions of people with disabilities. Access to assistive technology has allowed me to graduate from high school, make new friends, and participate fully in school. Because of assistive technology, people with disabilities are able to become passionate, skilled individuals with a unique set of skills and a desire to make things work better. People with disabilities are intelligent and hard-working if they are given the right tools that can help them express and communicate their thoughts and ideas freely. So, what's one thing you can do to make your school or educational portal more accessible?