accommodation vs. accessibility: a pro-active approach · 2020. 9. 18. · – from reactive to...
TRANSCRIPT
Accommodation vs. Accessibility: A Pro-active Approach
Kelley Flowers, M.Ed.
Barbara Roberts, M.Sc OT Reg(NB), Ph.D.
Today’s Agenda
Legislation – the mandate – A reactive model
Accommodation vs. accessibility – From reactive to pro-active
Pro-active strategies – Determining essential requirements – Universal Instructional Design (UID) to Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
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Duty to Accommodate
Equity means
treating different people differently
“Fair” may not mean “the same”
Write a song…
Think of a song you know very well – National anthem, or religious, or popular, but
very familiar – Use your non-dominant hand
– Write the words – 60 sec.
Legislation
Provincial Human Rights Acts • Require accommodation of disability in
services delivery of education
• Principles in all human rights codes Dignity Individualization Inclusion
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Legislation and the duty to accommodate
Broad definition of disability
“physical disability” means any degree of disability, infirmity, malformation
or disfigurement of a physical nature
caused by bodily injury, illness or birth defect …includes, but is not limited
to, any degree of paralysis or …diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, amputation,
lack of physical coordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or
hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or
physical reliance on a guide dog or on a wheelchair, cane, crutch or other
remedial device or appliance. (New Brunswick Human Rights Act, 2011)
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Legislation and the duty to accommodate
“mental disability” means (a) a condition of mental retardation or impairment, (b) a learning disability, or dysfunction in one or more of the mental processes involved in the comprehension or use of symbols or spoken language, or (c) a mental disorder (New Brunswick Human Rights Act, 2011)
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Accommodation
Accommodation – Human Rights Code requirement
– Reactive, individualized response
– Anti-discrimination, negative impetus
– Disability is in the person But focus is on the differential impact of systems
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Accommodation attempts to defeat discrimination with… Dignity and respect Individualized response To the point of undue hardship Without compromising bona fide requirements
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Accommodation Decision Tree © Barbara L. Roberts 2012
Is there a health condition?
Is there a barrier to participation?
Is the accommodation appropriate
to the condition?
Are essential requirements
maintained?
Yes No/Stop
Accommodate
Yes
Yes
Yes
No/Stop
No/Stop
No/Stop
Build skills
The focus is not impairment…
From Granovsky: “Section 15(1) [of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms] is ultimately concerned with human rights and discriminatory treatment, not with biomedical conditions.”
Accommodation vs. Accessibility
Accessibility – Pro-active, systemic approach
– Pro-accessibility, positive impetus
– Disability is in the environment Policies, systems, built environment, technologies, attitudes (WHO, 2001)
– Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)
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Accommodation vs. Accessibility
Accommodation – Reactive, individualized
response
– Anti-discrimination, negative impetus
– Disability is in the person
But focus is on the differential impact of systems
Accessibility – Pro-active, systemic
approach
– Pro-accessibility, positive impetus
– Disability is in the environment
Policies, systems, built environment, technologies, attitudes (WHO, 2001)
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Legislation and the duty to accommodate
a limitation… exclusion, denial… because of… physical disability, mental disability… shall be permitted if the limitation, exclusion, denial is based on a bona fide qualification as determined by the
Commission.(New Brunswick Human Rights Act, 2011)
What is a bona fide qualification?
What is an essential requirement?
Bona fide occupational requirement “BFOR” – Cannot be adapted without compromising the
nature or objective of the task Examples: – Rate of administering compressions in CPR – Passing a fitness test to become a firefighter – Publishing technical research before it’s
obsolete
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Determining essential requirements
Is the requirement or standard established in good faith? (Meiorin)
Is the requirement or standard rationally connected to the purpose of the program or course? (Meiorin)
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Determining essential requirements
Is there evidence that the requirement is necessary? (Meiorin)
Is the requirement or standard socially constructed such that it excludes [various learning styles], for a reason that is irrelevant, based on assumptions about function or [students’ learning needs]? (Granovsky)
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The key question...
Is the requirement or standard socially constructed such that
it excludes [various learning styles], for a reason that is irrelevant, based on assumptions about function or
[students’ learning needs]? (Granovsky)
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To accommodate, or not?
Science education – Lab experiment on chemistry of soap – Objective:
After independently conducting an experiment to demonstrate the different effect of soap in a fat-based medium and a water-based medium, students will describe the chemical bonds that allow soap to remove dirt from surfaces.
PHOTOLIBRARY www.telegraph.co.uk
Where lies the disability?
In the environment – Legal test questions do not quantify the
student’s disability – Focus is on the construction of requirements
such that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity
– Speaks to the need for an accessible, inclusive environment
Policies, services, systems, activities, requirements…
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Pro-active: design for inclusion
Universal architectural design principles (UD):
www.udeducation.org Universal instructional design principles (UID/UDL):
http://www.tss.uoguelph.ca/uid/ http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines
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Preventing Barriers with Universal Design
Originator - Ron Mace, North Carolina State University Principles of Universal Design – Equitable use
– Flexibility in use
– Simple, intuitive use
– Perceptible information
– Tolerance for error
– Low physical effort
– Size and space for approach and use
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Universal Design
.
Architectural
– Equitable use
– Flexibility in use – Simple, intuitive use
– Perceptible information – Tolerance for error – Low physical effort
– Size and space for approach
and use
.
Instructional – Fair, equitable use – Flexible use, participation,
presentation
– Straightforward, consistent – Info explicit, readily perceived
– Supportive environment
– Minimize physical effort
– Space is accessible
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Preventing Barriers with Universal Instructional Design (UID)
Universal Instructional Design is: – An attitude about how to teach more diverse
students – Techniques for accessible, inclusive learning – Supporting standards with flexible methods – Effective use of technology – Multiple delivery methods – Equal opportunity to participate and learn
(Bryson, Jim; LOTF 2004)
Preventing Barriers with Universal Design for Learning
(UDL) “Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
…addresses and redresses the primary barrier
to making expert learners of all students:
inflexible, one-size-fits-all curricula
that raise unintentional barriers to learning.”
(CAST, 2008)
Preventing Barriers with Universal Design for Learning
(UDL) “A universally designed curriculum is designed
from the outset to meet the needs of the greatest
number of users, making costly, time-consuming,
and after-the-fact changes to curriculum
unnecessary.”
CAST, 2008 [emphasis added]
Preventing Barriers with Universal Design for Learning
CAST’s 3 Principles of UDL
Provide: – multiple means of representation – multiple means of action and expression – multiple means of engagement http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines
UID vs. UDL UID: 7 Principles – Info explicit, readily
perceived – Straightforward, consistent – Flexible use, participation,
presentation – Minimize physical effort – Supportive environment – Fair, equitable use – Space is accessible
UDL7: 3 Principles – Multiple means of :
representation action and expression engagement
Legal test question: Is the requirement socially constructed such that it excludes [various learning styles] for reasons that are irrelevant? (Granovsky) CAST’s 3 UDL Principles
Provide: – multiple means of representation – multiple means of action and expression – multiple means of engagement
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Opportunity!
Combining legal test questions + pro-active instructional design strategies = creative opportunity to meet the needs of diverse learners while ensuring academic integrity.
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Opportunity
For faculty - To design an environment and curriculum that includes all learners, to maximize their potential, in a climate of equal opportunity. For students - To participate in an accessible learning environment that supports participation in all aspects of higher education.
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Your course objective…
List two alternative ways to represent or convey the main idea List two additional ways students can physically perform the task, or express their knowledge List two ways students can exercise choice and autonomy in their participation
UDL – Reality!
How did this session demonstrate UDL? – Multiple means of representation? – Multiple means of action and expression? – Multiple means of engagement?
UDL as reality… You can, too!
Thank you! Kelley Flowers, M. Ed. [email protected] Barbara Roberts, M.Sc. OT Reg.(NB), Ph.D. [email protected]