Subject: The Importance of Accessibility Design in Academic Institutions
To whom it may concern/Institution President
From: Theresa Morgan
Date: February 18th, 2024
Disability is an inclusive term that encompasses impairments (cognitive and motor), physical limitations, and limitations that will affect one’s ability to participate in activities of daily living. Disabilities are complex, individualized, and not always visually apparent. Accommodations or necessary variations to programs/activities that prevent individuals with disabilities from being excluded, but rather included, and thus be welcome participants, should be mandated in all institutions. I believe accommodations should be reasonable, and not cost prohibitive. Accessibility is the ability to be a part of the community, to be able to fully engage, interact, and relate to those around us.
Accessible design is an important inclusion device that should be mandatory for this and every institution. As a student and clinical instructor, I have had students who have been diagnosed with disabilities, some more debilitating than others. Some examples of disabilities that I have encountered as a student and instructor are hearing impairments, visual impairments, mobility impairments that require assistive device(s), learning impairments, and medical conditions such as diabetes (ADA.gov., n.d.). Accessible design mandates will require reasonable accommodations to be in place, adaptive tools to be available, and the most cutting-edge applications and tech to be utilized for any individual with a disability.
As a student with numerous disabilities, I understand my responsibility to “disclose my disability”, but I also believe that due to better accessibility measures I would not be required to volunteer this information. In a reasonable, and inclusive institution, my speech impairment would not be a barrier due to the inclusion of text-to-speech options for every assignment. In a reasonably inclusive institution, my hearing impairment would not limit me from engaging in discussions that utilize various audio/visual media, because accurate closed-caption would be readily available. Lastly, due to my poor vision and partial blindness, manufacturers of devices such as tablets and laptops would offer display options that would mitigate the glare from brightness levels, and enable every assignment/discussion post to be equipped with audio feedback, and text-to-speech toogles.
Technological advances have made not only day-to-day tasks easier to complete, but also allow individuals with disabilities to be included, and active members of their community. Technology can also be a hindrance to student functioning optimally as well. Many devices, or tools utilized in accessibility design can be cost-prohibitive, and require a more than rudimentary grasp of technology, and the ability to navigate various applications correctly, which then becomes a barrier to that student. To reiterate, institutions should adhere to an accessibility design model at every academic level to foster inclusion and ensure academic instruction is provided equally to all individuals. Thank you for your time.
Respectfully,
Theresa Morgan, BSN, RN
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