This week we talked about disability and inclusion in the classroom and how to make assignments, the classroom space and the technology we use accessible to everyone. We started off the class by talking about how there are a significant portion of Canadians who have disabilities which makes the traditional method of teaching more difficult for them to learn. In an average classroom, there will be 10% of students or higher who have some sort of disability that affect student performance. We also talked about how the term disability can be used to describe a physical ailment, such as someone who is blind, deaf or who uses wheelchair accessibility, but it can also mean something that mentally exists such as anxiety, ADHD, dislexia or a low self-esteem. As a teacher, it is important to be aware that we never fully understand the full picture of a student and what they are going through. It is also important to be aware how these “invisible” disabilities may persist in a student. For example, a student might be late to school everyday, start sleeping in class or hand in assignments late. These are some things to watch out for in students so that if they are struggling we are able to give them any extra help that they need.

We also talked about the Universal Design for Learning and how it is important to make sure that all types of learners have equal access and opportunities to all resources. Something that we mentioned in class is that our world is designed for able bodied and able minded people, which doesn’t leave much room for students who are outside of this category. This made me reflect on the different abilities students have and how everyone learns so differently. I think that different styles of teaching such as free inquiry projects leave extra space for students to become active participants in their learning. This also gives them the opportunity to find a method of learning that works for them and to choose topics that they are passionate about. Ideally, each learner should be given equal opportunities to succeed, however, I also understand that sometimes there are barriers to giving students these opportunities.