Universal Design for Learning and Accessibility with Amber Wade from Wayne RESA

Greetings and Welcome to another "Potentially Useful" episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. We are excited to be joined by Amber Wade, Wayne RESA’s Assistive Technology Consultant to follow up on our NETP conversations concerning Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Accessibility and provide some potentially useful tips for educators attempting to implement UDL in their practice.

Moment of Zen: “Let’s stop ‘tolerating’ or ‘accepting’ difference, as if we’re so much better for not being different in the first place. Instead, let’s celebrate difference, because in this world it takes a lot of guts to be different.”― Kate Bornstein

 

The Rundown:

Key Goals of the Podcast:

1. Increase understanding of UDL
2. Increase depth of understanding around accessibility
3. Offer practical tips for educators regarding UDL/Accessibility

 

Audience for the Podcast:

• K-12 educators

• Administrators

 

General Accessibility Questions:

1. For educators unfamiliar with accessibility, what's the simplest way to explain its importance in education?
2. What are some common accessibility barriers educators might be overlooking?
3. Are there free or low-cost resources educators can use to make their classrooms more accessible?

 

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Questions:

1. Can you explain the core principles of UDL in a way that educators can easily understand?
2. How can UDL benefit all learners, not just those with disabilities?
3. What practical strategies can educators use to implement UDL in their classrooms?
4. How can UDL be used to promote a more inclusive and equitable learning environment?

 

Implementation and Challenge Questions:

1. What are some of the biggest challenges educators face when implementing UDL?
2. What advice would you give educators who are just starting to explore UDL?
3. Looking towards the future, what are your predictions for the role of accessibility and UDL in education?

 

Tech Tool of the Week

Alt+Shift: Every Learner Has Special Needs. Learners do not need to be “ready” to be included.  Programs need to be ready to support all learners.

Digital Promise Edtech Pilot Framework: The Edtech Pilot Framework provides a step-by-step process to help education leaders and technology developers run successful educational technology (edtech) pilots.

 

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Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Special Guest: Amber Wade

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

 

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.