Supports to help make materials work for everyone
Google provides a playlist of YouTube videos to learn how to access the accessibility features built into the Chromebook. Reviewing the titles and videos available might reveal features that might make the Chromebook even more easy to see, navigate, and control. Which features might you use to increase your productivity?
Playlist of Chromebook Accessibility Features
Most educators do not have a background in designing and creating educational materials with accessibility in mind. An accessibility checker will catch design mistakes and guide educators through a process of how to fix them. Consistent use of an accessibility checker consistently helps people learn how to design the next material with less errors. Educators will learn from their mistakes and begin to anticipate what is needed to mitigate errors. The following video explains how to use Grackle Docs to check files created using Google Suite for accessibility errors.
The most efficient way to provide accessible educational materials to students is to find materials that are already created that way! Why create them yourself when someone has already done the work for you? LCPS works to ensure curricular materials that are provided as resources to educators are already accessible. When reviewing materials, educators can ask themselves a series of design questions to determine if the materials are accessible. These questions can include the following:
The brightness or whiteness of a screen can impact how easy it is to experience content including text. Many devices, including student Chromebooks, have a setting which allows for automatically adjusting colors based on different factors, including time of day.
Night Light feature in ChromeOS
Some mobile devices have a feature that allow you to listen to text displayed on the screen. Whenever you need or want, choose to have text read aloud.
How to Use Spoken Content on an iOS Device
How To Use Select To Speak on an Android Device
Spoken Content Screen in iOS Accessibility
This video focuses on how designing instruction for students with disabilities leads to strategies used by the masses and explains how accommodations can be used as a roadmap for designing inclusively for all learners.
Technology can help educators and learners get and stay organized. Google Keep is both a desktop and mobile note taking application that works similarly to sticky notes which allows the user to add information in text, image, and audio formats. Once information is placed on a virtual sticky note, that note is placed on a giant virtual wall. Individuals can use the Search feature to filter notes placed on the wall. Notes can be labeled and organized into categories. Notes can even be organized by color. Each note can also be turned into a to do list which keeps track of what has been accomplished once it is completed.
Google Keep also allows users to create reminders which link to the same user’s Google Calendar to help keep track of scheduled events. Notes made in Google Keep can also be pulled into Google Docs. Students (and educators!) can use Google Keep to keep track of everything! Check out this video tutorial to learn more.
Screenshot of Google Keep with labels on the left, a to do list, and examples of notes.
Choice of font is an important factor in personalizing the learning experience. When reading text on paper, students are forced to access that text using the font that was predetermined by the publisher of that text. When text is made accessible, students can alter how the text is presented without changing any of the content. For example, two different students can experience the same content using different fonts. These preferences might help a student more easily access the text.
Some people with dyslexia have stated they prefer a font that is thicker on the bottom. Students (and educators!) can go to the Google Chrome Store to get the OpenDyslexic Font extension. Once added to Chrome, a user can select the icon in the extensions bar and toggle on the use of the OpenDyslexic font. For compatible websites, the text will convert from the default to the OpenDyslexic font. Any student in LCPS can be given the option to try this font to see if meshes with individual learner preferences.
Screenshot of the OpenDyslexic Font Extension
Two screenshots of the same block of text from the LCPS Pupil Services home page. The image on the left is the default text. The image on the right shows the same content using the OpenDyslexic font.
Math can be made both digital and accessible using EquatIO, an extension for Google Chrome available to anyone in LCPS. Students and teachers can choose to insert mathematical equations and scientific notations into a Google Doc using a variety of modalities including typing, handwriting recognition, and voice dictation. The extension recognizes the input, converts it into the corresponding mathematical notation, and then inserts it into the Google Doc. The extension uses prediction as well so students can start a mathematical formula or notation and choose from a provided list of options.
Speech Input feature of EquatIO
Once the math is inserted, Read&Write for Google Chrome can be used to listen back to the notation which helps students who might have difficulty processing the information using only a visual modality. The extension also offers a feature called Mathspace which allows users to insert different manipulatives such as shapes and images to create diagrams for math and science problems. To learn more about EquatIO and how it can be used to design inclusive educational experiences which help students learn how to make meaningful contributions to the world, check out this playlist of tutorials on YouTube.
Examples of some of the tools available for diagrams and other manipulatives available in the Mathspace portion of EquatIO.
Video is a common modality for educators to share, teach, and reinforce concepts. Captions exist to help individuals with hearing impairments experience the audio portion of the content. Evidence suggests that turning the captions on for video content can also help students, with or without hearing impairments, improve reading abilities. Pairing text with audio and visual content helps reinforce the meanings of words while simultaneously representing how they are spelled.
Strategies can be used to encourage educators and parents to turn on the captions whenever students are experiencing video content. Consider crafting a “Captions On!” campaign for your learning space, grade level, or school promoting the idea that captions help improve literacy. Here are some potential action steps:
Adopting and practicing a “captions on” mentality will help improve individual literacy skills while simultaneously working toward building a more inclusive and accessible future for all.
Google Slide with captions on.