This past week I examined the role of accessibility and inclusion in education to gain a better understanding of what it is and how it can be beneficial. Through an online tool known as WAVE , I explored how accessible and inclusive my previous blog post was. After receiving the results, I found myself to be very surprised! Additionally, I explored Read Aloud, an online tool that converts text to speech.

What is inclusive design?

Inclusive design works to “provide the best user experience for as many people as possible” (Sehl, 2020). By providing a variety of options for individuals to engage and interact with, inclusive design ensures that all individuals have equal access to various opportunities that support their education (Sehl, 2020).

What does inclusive design mean to me?

When I think of inclusive design, I think of tools that allow all individuals, including those with learning disabilities or hearing loss, the ability to experience equal learning opportunities. In addition, I believe it is important for everyone to have access to the same educational resources, regardless of their background, gender, race, or culture.

What type of learners does inclusive design benefit?

  • Individuals with learning disabilities
  • Those with hearing loss/deaf
  • Anyone with vision impairment
  • Foreign learners
  • Any individual with special needs

EVERYONE CAN BENEFIT!!

My experience using WAVE on my previous blog post

After running the WAVE accessibility report on my previous blog post, I was very surprised to see the amount of errors I had made! I have attached two images below showcasing my summary report on WAVE and features on my post that have been flagged. I mainly faced contrast errors because the contrast of my blog post was not fitting for people with vision impairments. In addition, my links were not placed properly within my text and I did not include alternative text for my images. The WAVE accessibility report allowed me to better understand the requirements for inclusive design and what needs to be changed in my future posts to ensure easy access for all individuals.

My experience with Read Aloud

I have never used text to speech tools before and found Read Aloud extremely useful! During exam-heavy weeks, I become really exhausted and have difficulty staying focussed on the content I am reading. As a result, I often find myself reading over text multiple times in attempt to understand the message being conveyed. However, this tool allowed me to read and listen to the material simultaneously, which improved my concentration. I will continue to use this tool in the future when studying for exams!

Resources

Read Aloud: A text to Speech Voice Reader – Chrome extension

Sehl, K. (2020). Inclusive Design for Social Media: Tips for Creating Accessible Channels. Retrieved from: https://blog.hootsuite.com/inclusive-design-social-media/

WAVE Chrome, Firefox, and Edge Extensions (webaim.org) – WAVE accessibility checker for the web