This week’s class was a Zoom meeting which focused on accessibility in learning. It’s fitting that we had this class on Zoom because video chat technology, I think, provides an interesting starting point for discussion an reflection on the topic of accessibility. The goal of video chat platforms like Zoom is to increase accessibility by allowing people to speak to and see each other regardless of distance from each other. It allows people to attend meetings even if they are bed-redden. It can even help people feel more comfortable attending a course or meeting. On the other hand, those without reliable internet connection or the electronic devices themselves will not be able to benefit from these perks, making it inaccessible to those people. This illustrates a big take-away of the discussion we had: nothing can ever be fully accessible to everyone all the time, but it is important to do the best we can.
More specifically, our in-class conversation focused on accessibility to learning and external support. We spoke about how many of the supports people require in education like health services, learning support, and accommodation for learners with diverse needs. We talked mostly about how these things are often not nearly as accessible as they should be. Many students have a varying degree of need for these supports but, paradoxically, it seems that those who need them most have the hardest time accessing them. This highlights a systemic fault in how accessible these supports are. For instance, someone struggling with clinical depression or anxiety might not physically be able to seek out the help they need. Even if they do have the energy to seek help, these supports can often be withheld from them by doctors, mental health specialists, and other professionals between them and help.