In today’s classrooms, the idea of inclusion is anything but a new concept. Nowadays, children of all backgrounds, cultures and abilities can be found in the general education system. Classrooms are a melting pot, providing a multitude of opportunities for students to learn from one another, and a multitude of challenges for teachers as well. Although each and every individual student’s differences are to be welcomed, there are often instances in which these differences can limit their abilities in the classroom. It is in these cases that certain devices and programs might be required to level the playing field, and ensure that every student is given an equal opportunity to learn. The student should not struggle to adhere to the structure of the class, the class must become accessible to the student. Whether through personal devices or programs implemented by the teacher, accessibility tools are often vital for allowing students to reach their full potential. To extend my knowledge as an aspiring educator, I decided to research three tools that can help make my classroom more accessible for my future students and their potential needs.

I began my search by researching tools that can help my individual students with any and all specific disabilities they may have. Often times, these individual tools can provide my students with a sense of autonomy, and control over their disability so that they may function as well as their able peers. The first tool I discovered is actually a setting provided by Windows 10, Magnifier, in which students with visual impairments can better view their screen and stay on task with the rest of the class during online assignments. This application is preinstalled on most personal Windows 10 computers, and appears as a magnifying glass icon in the settings menu. Once activated, the user may guide the mouse over anything on the screen, magnifying the content to their desired percentage. For visually impaired students and individuals, this application can make staying on task and browsing the web much easier and much less frustrating.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that this application was already preinstalled on my own Windows laptop. It was very easy to find and use, and I was able to magnify the entire screen, or just the areas in which I moved my mouse. I also was still able to click and use my computer as normal while simultaneously magnifying my screen. For my future students with visual impairments, this tool can be very easily incorporated into my room in that, it does not need to be installed or purchased beforehand.

When measuring this tool’s effectiveness on the Triple E Evaluation scale, I would easily rate this an 18/18. In no instance do I find this tool as anything but effective and easily used, and it provides my students with the ability to limit their visual impairment on any Windows computer, inside and outside of the classroom. In fact, the only issue that I found with this tool is one that lacks a category on the Triple E rubric. If possible, this tool would lose points for only being compatible on Windows computers. That said, if a school uses only Apple computers, than this specific tool would not be accessible or preloaded on their devices.

The second tool I evaluated was one that is used to assist my students who may have more severe disabilities. Nonverbal students often have plenty of insight to share and want to participate and interact with their verbal peers. In this instance, an augmentative and alternative communication device is required, so that a nonverbal student may be given the gift of communication. These devices come in many forms, and for the sake of this post I have decided to choose one that I found to be most beneficial and accessible for teachers. Proloquo2Go is an AAC device in the form of an application that can be installed and run on an iPad, or similar touchscreen tablet or device. For students with touchscreen cell phones, this application can be installed to provide them with an AAC device that literally fits into their pocket. With a variety of settings, Proloquo2Go can provide students with pictures to select their desired needs, or a keyboard to type sentences that may be translated to speech.

Although weighing in at approximately $250, Proloquo2Go still falls on the cheaper side of the market for AAC devices, and can be installed on whichever device one chooses. More benefits stem from the fact that this device is ultimately an application, meaning that updates may be easily installed as developed, ensuring that students have the access to the newest version of this technology.

When deciding where this device falls on the Triple E Evaluation scale, I believe Proloquo2Go would also receive an 18/18. In my opinion, the gift of communication is priceless, and this specific tool is one of the best of the currently available AAC devices. For my future students, communication barriers may be crossed through the use of Proloquo2Go, and my students will be able to share their thoughts, feelings and insights in ways they never could before. Every student’s voice counts, and Proloquo2Go provides that voice for nonverbal students.

The final tool I discovered was one that could benefit myself in terms of the creation of my own content. In my classroom, I want to ensure that my instruction and the material that I use is always accessible to every one of my students. To accomplish this, I can use a web accessibility tool called WAVE . Quite simply, to utilize this instrument one must copy the link of a website or article into the online tool, and a report of the link’s accessibility is subsequently created.

As demonstrated above, WAVE’s website is incredibly simple looking, and very straightforward for teachers who want to ensure that their websites and resources are accessible for all of their students. WAVE will quickly identify any errors, alerts, features, structural elements, or contrast errors that may make the resource difficult for students with a variety of impairments to use. In the future, I feel as if this tool is simple enough for me to use nearly every time I assign or use any type of online resource.

On the Triple E Evaluation rubric, however, WAVE falls a bit lower than the previous two accessibility tools. I ultimately gave this tool a 12/18, as it loses a generous amount of points in the category that focuses on the student’s engagement and how it is advanced by this tool. Being that it is oriented mostly towards educators, and that it merely checks an online resource contrary to changing or enhancing it, I believe that WAVE inadequately seeks to engage students. Besides this, I do believe that this tool can be beneficial in some ways, but not nearly as much as the prior devices listed.

Overall, I believe this search was incredibly helpful and has provided me with an abundance of tools that I can use in my future classroom. From students who are visually impaired, to those who are nonverbal, and everything in between, these accessibility tools can provide all of my students with an equal opportunity to learn. In my case especially, due to the fact that I would prefer to teach special education, I must gather information on as many resources and devices as possible to be used with my students. Education is vital, and every child must have the opportunity to succeed and be the best versions of themselves possible.