Last week we learned about how to design classrooms, schools and communities to be inclusive for all. The two presenters, Kaori Lau and Tracy Humphrey from the BCEDACCESS SOCIETY, had a lot of suggestions for how to help students with disabilities and complex learners.
Some of the common challenges that students with disabilities face in the classroom and their potential solutions are:
A lack of access to technology: some families may not have reliable internet access. They also might not have access to the devices they need. The schools might be able to get funding or perhaps use a loaner program. I have found a link to a loaner program called PPL.
Here is a summary taken from the website: Funded by the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, the Public Postsecondary Loan (PPL) program provides the following services:
-Consultation and assessment of students’ disability-related needs for the purpose of developing individualized assistive technology plans. The technology plans are designed to minimize specific disability-related barriers to accessing education/training.
-Loaning assistive technology to students, as informed by the ATBC assessment process.
-Training and ongoing technical support to ensure that students are able to implement and sustain their personalized technology plan throughout their studies.