This is a compendium of articles, interviews, and videos that offer insight on accessibility. Design of Physical & Virtual Spaces Autistic Access Needs: Notes on Accessibility “Design with the blind in mind,” a TED Talk by Chris Downey Development of the AASPIRE Web Accessibility Guidlines for Autistic Users How to caption a YouTube video “Paralympics … More Perspectives on Accessibility: A Resource Page
My last few days of calm are dwindling: the summer semester begins next Tuesday. I’ve finished my syllabus and course schedule, plugged in all the links and files on Blackboard, and gathered up the necessary textbooks. I’m putting the finishing touches on my Welcome Letter, a document I email to my students a few days … More Access at the Outset
In his 2011 TED Talk, British conductor Charles Hazlewood insists that music-making depends not on skill, but on trust. Describing past and present musical projects, Hazlewood emphasizes how trust grows through collaboration. “Where there is trust,” says Hazlewood, “there is music—by extension life.” One of Hazlewood’s remarkable projects is the British Paraorchestra, an ensemble of … More Designing the Parachorus—Or Why I Sing with a Dog
I’ve decided to share a post from Blind Spot, a fantastic blog written by Dr. Hannah Thompson. In this blog post, she presents several simple suggestions for making conferences and meetings more accessible to disabled participants: “As I become more involved in Disability Studies as a discipline, I find myself increasingly invited to attend disability-themed … More Practising Inclusive Access [Reblogged from Dr. Hannah Thompson, UK]
As a writing instructor with low vision, I spend my life trading between a large white stick and a small white stick. The large one, of course, is the cane that helps me navigate my work environment. I open my classroom door, cane in hand, and proceed to my desk. At the desk, I fold … More I Only Have Eyes for…Grammar: Creating a Multi-Sensory Method for Teaching Writing
In J. R. R. Tolkien’s extensive epic, The Lord of the Rings, much attention is given to the One Ring, a powerful weapon that changes the hearts and minds of men, dwarves, elves, and wizards. After encountering the Ring of Power, many characters discover a hunger for ability, a yearning to wear and wield this … More Blind Magician
Just before lunchtime, I receive an urgent call. The colleague, whose class I’ll be taking over in two weeks, needs me to start tomorrow. Tomorrow!? I’d planned to go in and observe tomorrow; I’d given the assigned poems a cursory reading. I wanted to sit in the back and be unobtrusive. I must dispense with … More Blind Teacher II: The Saga Continues
Tomorrow is a workday. Because I want an extra 15 minutes of sleep in the morning, I must select my professional attire tonight. I move to the closet and begin running my hand along the higher of the two clothing rods inside. My narrow closet is arranged in a very particular way. From left to … More Closet Case
Subtitle: A letter for Henry I have decided to break out the Perkins braillewriter. Henry and I are going to exchange braille letters with the hope of improving my braille skills. As the novice, I must write the first of these missives. Henry says this will force me to remember my skills, but I suspect … More Deliberate Communication
If you were to ask my mother to name one of the happiest days of her life so far, she might tell you, “The day I got married,” “The day my son got married,” or maybe, “The day my daughter got married.” (In my fantasies, she smiles brightly, dabs at her eyes, and replies, “The … More Clean Up Your Act: Household Chores and Low Vision
On the Blink 