EdTech for All: Designing Accessibly from the Start
Blog Post
June 9, 2023
"I'm an example of what's possible when students with disabilities are given the appropriate tools and environment to thrive. Disability should not be a barrier to our success, to our achievement, to our dreams, to our goals, to our lives." - Claudia Gordon, Senior Accessibility Strategy Partner at T-Mobile
On Thursday, June 1, 2023, Claudia Gordon delivered a powerful closing speech at Accessible EdTech for All convening, where edtech CEOs, designers and developers, researchers, policymakers, accessibility advocates, educators and learners with disabilities converged to listen, learn and collaborate. Through a partnership between the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology and New America, the event emphasized the importance of designing edtech accessibly right from the start. The gathering aimed to foster innovation, raise awareness, and encourage a collective commitment to ensuring inclusive and equitable education for all.
The day began with the 70 in-person and 30 online participants hearing opening remarks from New America CEO, Anne-Marie Slaughter, and U.S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development, Roberto J. Rodriguez, both of whom declared the critical need for edtech to be designed for all, not just some.
Participants then had the opportunity to hear from and engage with two panels. The first panel focused on the current state of edtech featuring Cynthia Curry from CAST, Rylin Rodgers from Microsoft, Paul Schroeder from the American Printing House for the Blind and Yamillet Payano from SignSpeak. While the panelists represented large companies, start-ups and non-profits, all emphasized incorporating accessibility initially and not as an afterthought, implementing accessibility guidelines and protocols, and listening to and hiring individuals with disabilities.
The second panel highlighted the lived experiences of accessible edtech from K-12 special educator Dionne Young, K-12 assistive technology specialist Alice Wright, Gallaudet University professor Raja Kushalnagar and 8th grader Emmi Ellison. Ellison shared several personal experiences about learning with dyslexia and using technology in school. “Accessibility means leveling the playing field for me,” Ellison said, explaining to attendees why accessibility in technology is so important for disabled students. Panelists reflected on ways in which accessible edtech furthered their teaching and learning as well as ways inaccessible edtech created new barriers.
During the afternoon, participants had the opportunity to brainstorm solutions for accessible edtech. Each design breakout team embarked on the first three steps of the design thinking process: empathize, define, and ideate. The teams were intentionally composed of a diverse mix of individuals, including representatives from edtech companies, researchers, educators, and learners. The unique composition of teams fostered collaboration and encouraged participants to engage with a mix of people they may not always work alongside. The design thinking exercise aimed to reinforce how environmental barriers impact learners and how edtech companies can break down those barriers via design.
Claudia Gordon gave a captivating reflection and a call-to-action to close the day. Drawing from her personal experiences and insights gained from the event, she offered a poignant reminder that disability should not be the cause of a lack of opportunities in education. Her personal story served as a reminder of the significance of the work being done in the field of accessible edtech. Building on the collective energy and ideas throughout the event, Gordon underscored the importance of translating those efforts into actionable steps at the community level, including and especially educators, families, and learners. She called on the edtech community in the room to remember that developing with accessibility in mind is not a competition but an opportunity to learn from each other.
The Accessible EdTech for All event was a reminder that edtech has revolutionized the way we learn and teach and has the potential to provide personalized, immersive, and interactive educational experiences. However, making these technologies accessible to all learners is not just a legal requirement but a moral imperative. By making edtech accessible from the start, we can break down barriers and create a more inclusive educational environment for all.
This one-day event marks the beginning of New America’s and the Department of Education’s journey to ensuring the importance of designing edtech accessibly right from the start. We are committed to fostering engagement among researchers, edtech companies, designers, developers, educators, learners with disabilities, policymakers, and others to build thoughtfully, responsibly, and effectively for all. As we continue this work, we invite you to watch the recordings of the two panels, and the closing.
Event recordings are attached below: