EDI & Accessibility

Universal Design for Learning

CAST

Why you might like it

CAST's vision is a world in which all learning experiences are designed to elevate strengths and eliminate barriers. To that end, the organization created the Universal Design for Learning framework and UDL Guidelines.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework that helps educators create flexible learning environments to accommodate the diverse needs of all learners. It's rooted in the idea that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to education, so UDL focuses on providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression.

In practice, UDL encourages designing lessons and activities that offer students various ways to access information, demonstrate their learning, and stay motivated. It's about proactively removing barriers to learning and fostering a more inclusive classroom.

An Alt Decision Tree

W3C: Web Accessibility Initiative

Why you might like it

A visitor to the W3C WAI website will find endless resources on how to build accessible web elements. As a starting point, I'm highlighting the alt-tag decision tree page, which guides users through the process of determining what — if any — alt text should be on their images.

All Things Pedagogical

Ann Gagné

Why you might like it

Gagné's blog tackles various subjects in academia, including accessible pedagogy, inclusive teaching and learning, and community building. In addition to her blog, I highly recommend following her on LinkedIn and listening to her podcast the Accessagogy Podcast. The podcast provides some concrete methods to improve accessibility in your classroom.

Large Language Models are Biased. Can Logic Help Save Them?

Rachel Gordon

Why you might like it

This article from MIT News discusses a study from the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) on how to reduce bias in language models. Researchers found that current language models perpetuate societal biases, such as gender and racial biases, because they are trained on data that reflects those biases. For example, the researchers found that current models associate certain professions with specific genders, such as \"flight attendant\" and \"secretary\" with feminine, and \"fisherman\" and \"judge\" with masculine.

In response, the CSAIL researchers trained a new type of logic-aware language model. In testing, the logic-aware model showed significantly less bias than other models.

Accessibility Personas

GOV.UK

Why you might like it

This resource from the UK Government's Digital Service (GDS) introduces eight accessibility personas, each representing different access needs. These personas help educators and designers experience the web from different perspectives and understand accessibility challenges. The personas include individuals with visual impairments, dyslexia, autism, arthritis, and more.

Each persona page provides a basic introduction and a training task, demonstrating common barriers that users face. While simulations aren't perfect representations of real experiences, they offer valuable insights into how poor design impacts accessibility.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Classics Education

Jenny Hu

Why you might like it

This comprehensive resource challenges the traditional, exclusionary narratives of Classical Studies and offers educators practical steps to create a more inclusive and accurate approach to teaching Latin and Greek. The document highlights how classical education has often romanticized antiquity while ignoring issues of race, gender, and social injustice.

Educators will find recommendations, reading lists, articles, and teaching strategies aimed at diversifying curricula, acknowledging the complexities of Greco-Roman society, and addressing the misuse of classics in white supremacist ideologies. It includes anti-elitist teaching resources, discussions on racial competency, gender inclusivity guides, and alternative textbooks that provide a more nuanced and representative view of antiquity.

This resource is ideal for anyone looking to make classical studies more welcoming, historically accurate, and accessible to all students.

Teaching in Higher Ed: Designing for Justice

Bonni Stachowiak with guest Rajiv Jhangiani

Why you might like it

In this episode, Dr. Jhangiani emphasizes the need for those most affected by decisions to have a voice in shaping them, advocating for the creation of new systems when existing ones fail to respect the dignity of marginalized groups. He provides examples from his work at Brock University, such as developing frameworks for ethical educational technology procurement to avoid tools that perpetuate systemic biases.

The conversation also includes personal anecdotes about encountering resistance when attempting to implement inclusive practices. Dr. Jhangiani stresses the importance of engaging in open dialogue to understand the reasons behind resistance and finding common ground through shared values.

WAVE Accessibility Tool

WebAIM

Why you might like it

This browser extension makes it very easy to verify that your web content is accessible. The extension will identify all of the elements on your page and provide a summary of possible issues.