Time for digital inclusion at scale

 So I can’t sleep, and so I do what any normal person would do, use the time in a productive way ;) I’ve spent an hour and a half watching the IAAP CPACC video as I’m keen to look into doing this qualification. https://youtu.be/a01vcZMTJqU This is definitely worth looking into further. I’ve toyed with doing this for a long time and the video has been incredibly useful to watch. I’m going to delve further.

To look at this, let’s take recycling as an example. We see green bins for our recycling waste, we see instructional stickers or signs near or on bins, we see recycling logos and we see posters. Recycling is visible in our society, and at the very least people have a basic idea, prompt or awareness of what to do with their plastic drinks bottles or cereal boxes so they can get recycled. Recycling is educating for the future of our planet, we have all heard that. Digital accessibility is educating for the current and future digital world in which we live. Digital accessibility potentially impacts around 20% of our society, yet in contrast to recycling it is not visible in society, and in the mainstream most people are not aware. There are no prompts for awareness, no posters, no campaigns and it’s not on the educational curriculum in schools. Posters for education or marketing campaign I personally remember content on posters, I walk past them daily at work and I remember those from whe...

 Attitudinal or behavioural? Attitudes, opinions and perceptions of digital accessibility to frame current thinking and feeling. Behavioural to explore responses to concepts and skills .

What a fruitful evening on LinkedIn with feedback and suggestions:  A great website sent to help structure findings https://dschool.stanford.edu/resources/criticallens A great game to do as an activity and observe 

Another presentation looming on the topic of digital accessibility. I whole heartedly believe in it but many others are just not convinced. I see such a lot of ‘it’s not our priority, ‘we haven’t got time’ and ‘not sure who’s responsibility that is, it’s not ours’. Compliance is the only thing that people care about, or should I say tick a box to do. Compliance isn’t about meeting peoples needs, it’s about an organisation ticking a box. Compliance doesn’t make content accessible, true understanding and engagement does. Take for example a long document with only one heading one and one heading 2, that’s potentially compliant. Is it accessible and usable without barriers, NO! Addressing the later is about thinking of others needs rather than own, something that so many people I meet either have no idea to do, or have no intention to care. More and more I’m determined to make a difference, raise the profile and make this become something we are all aware of, will think about as part of ev...

  I have two aims when exploring the school context for digital accessibility awareness and knowledge. 1, Where are we now? (What is currently taught or known) 2, What could work for the future?  (How, when and where on the curriculum could these skills be embedded and practiced?) What is currently known on a range of digital accessibility concepts. Following these themes from Sarah Lewthwaite to structure the questions: 1, Conceptual / theoretical - how people perceive disability - what do they know or understand of the impact of digital accessibility to meet people’s needs. (EDI) 2, Procedural - the decision making (the decisions and choices they make when looking at creating content - what considerations could they make and why / could they identify improvements to make content accessible)? (Curriculum opportunities and where it could be embedded to be appropriate? 3, Techniques and skills - how quickly can they understand some basic digital skills and how they feel they co...

 Some useful basic facts that could resonate: Universal Design benefits everyone. Did you know❓ These items were originally designed for people with disabilities: Typewriters / Keyboards❗ The first typewriter was created to support the inventor's blind friend. Over time typewriters were replaced by computers. Electric Toothbrush❗ The first electric toothbrushes were created to support people with limited mobility. Voice Recognition and Speech to Text apps❗ Was created to help people who couldn't physically write. It is now used in phones and across lots of other devices, even Alexa, Siri, and the voice giving you directions on GPS.  Bendy Straws❗ Although the first bendy straw was not specifically created for people with disabilities, hospitals were one of the first places to begin using them. They used them to support patients with limited mobility.  Audio Books❗ The American Foundation of the Blind was amongst the first to record audiobooks for blind and visually impair...

 You can’t get better than a day that gets your mind whirring. This morning an interview to get key objectives and ideas across, followed by watching several videos and an AXSChat with Sarah Lewthwaite.  My own AXSChat has several overlaps, but now with a new focus on school based education it was great to watch and listen to Sarah because it’s good to get a specific focus and mindset. A great takeaway was the teaching pedagogy with three important aspects: 1Conceptual/ theoretical - how people perceive disability  2, Procedural - the decision making 3, Techniques and skills  Sarah’s chat  https://youtu.be/lCT00EsDp-E Then here’s mine https://youtu.be/ZuFZZCkLvLM

  Who am I - proff background: Digital content and graphic design 20+ years Includes: ILT role, teaching, advisory and leading several JISC and other projects recognised nationally (inspired my original EdD and recent personal one has influenced and shaped this research. (EdD halted, research passion continued) Title of my research: Educating our next generation with awareness and underpinning skills to be digitally inclusive and accessible.  Why? Statement of truth? We have a generation growing up digital: My knowledge about this is positioned and framed by: Digital generation- as a mum (send), as an FE teacher, current digital generation (literature net gen) - as someone who works in digital content Literature- digital by default, ICT/Digital Prensky (captured the imagination of the situation - this influenced my previous work - learners need skills it’s not instinct) - previous EdD. What is the impact of a digital society? We have now barriers in our digital society: The co...