Some Technology Aids Developed During COVID-19 Should Remain to Help Students with Disabilities
Universities across the United States are adamant. Come fall of 2021, most foresee a much-anticipated return to normal. Universities want to say goodbye to the mask mandates, the social distancing, the virtual learning, and the diminished capacities for sport arenas. They want a return to what college life looked like in February 2020, right before the pandemic forced universities across the country to shut their doors and transition completely to online learning.
However, is a return to normal a good thing?
Certainly, most college students -- myself included -- want nothing more than to pretend that the pandemic never happened. I still have not stepped foot on my university campus since January of 2020 and would love to do so in September. However, it’s hard to imagine that the university I would return to wouldn’t be somewhat changed by the events of the past year and a half.
Universities clamoring to return to exactly how they used to be pre-pandemic ignores the possibility of ensuring that positive benefits from virtual learning remain. It would be foolish for universities to completely disregard the positive aspects of the pandemic; the aspects that forced universities to embrace technology and make switches that benefitted some students.
One such group of students benefitted are those who identify as having a disability.
The Positives of a Recorded Lecture
Before the start of the pandemic, students with hearing, visual, or intellectual disabilities had to go to great lengths to make classroom learning accessible. Very few universities recorded classroom lectures, and if a student wanted to record the lecture to study again later, cumbersome apps were the only way.
That all changed when learning switched to virtual platforms like Zoom. Most professors became flexible with attendance, opting to record lectures so that students who were unable to attend class times could listen and view information.
For students with disabilities, this was a major breakthrough for accessibility. Zoom provides high quality recording and sound with the added benefit of auto-generated closed-captioning.
For years, students with disabilities had been told such technological adaptations were impossible or disruptive to learning. Now, the pandemic has forced universities into a trial run with positive results. As universities transition back to in-person learning, virtual learning and recorded lectures should still be used for students who can benefit as a necessary tool for accessibility in the classroom.
The Positives of Virtual Social Events
Alongside the transition to virtual learning, universities also adapted all social events to virtual platforms. While some events are clearly limited on an online format; talks and club meetings were easily adapted with some unintended positive benefits.
For students with disabilities that caused mobility or social issues, an ability to virtually participate in campus events was greatly appreciated. For the first time in their college careers, they felt like they had no barriers to being a part of the social scene.
Universities need to be aware of the positive benefits of virtual platforms for learning and social opportunities. Much like how ramps, elevators, and automated doors have become common place on college campuses, so too should recorded lectures and prioritizing accessibility through technology aids.
Universities should not go back to the old normal of pre-pandemic times, lest they leave students with disabilities in the dust … again.
Written by Ryan Trombly
Ryan Trombly was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when she was eighteen months old. The disability causes right-side hemiparesis that affects the entire right side of her body, weakening her muscles and limiting her mobility in everyday activities. Despite this, Ryan has strived to live an independent life without any barriers and hopes to use her voice to advocate for the disability community.
Want to read the article this blog post was based off? See https://www.chronicle.com/article/as-colleges-strive-for-a-return-to-normal-students-with-disabilities-say-no-thanks?bc_nonce=z216xb5s4haa93ubhpdga&cid=reg_wall_signup
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