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Table of Contents
Introduction
Introduction
Accessibility of education is a gift that can totally change a person's life and future for the better. However modern schools and teachers aren't always fully equipped or educated in how to make sure ALL students get the same level of education at their peers.
Why Put this Page Together?
Why Put this Page Together?
I'm putting this section together as an adult, thinking back on they years where I struggled to read due to my mother refusing to let me be evaluated for the obvious problems I struggled with including dyscalculia, dyslexia, and Irlen Syndrome, which made it nearly impossible to keep up with my peers until I learned to read slowly at around 8 years old, then finally caught up with basic math around the age of 16. I was constantly told I was "smart", but struggled to pay attention (ADHD) or follow basic directions in class. The adults in my life assumed I was lazy and "not trying hard enough" which made me start to give up on my dreams of becoming a scientist, paleontologist, vet, or any of the other amazing careers I had dreamed of at a young age.
At 14 I remember crying after a test because I didn't understand how "everyone else's letters slide into place so much faster than mine" because it never occurred to me that other kids didn't see the letters swimming around each other, and changing places or shapes entirely. It wasn't till I was in my 20s that I learned about Irlen Syndrome for the first time.
Today I'm as obsessed with science and the natural world as I was when I was a small child. College was a challenge, but slightly easier with the skills I picked up by that point and the tutors who believed in me when everyone had given up on me.
Goal of this Page
Goal of this Page
This section is for all the kids with visible or invisible disabilities/conditions which might make learning or participating harder. By helping educators know about these differences and the little ways they can help students overcome them, we can help lay the foundation for a world where anyone can be a scientists, architect, lawyer or whatever else they might dream of. The world needs more creative minds, and these pages are indented to help bring down the barriers faced by so many students.
Types of Difficulty for Students
Types of Difficulty for Students
Blindness
Blindness
Many people assume blindness means people see total blackness, but there are many types of vision loss, and a person doesn't have to lose all of their sight to be considered legally blind, nor to have it greatly impact their learning experience.
Click the Blindness button to learn about vision impairment, and ways that we can make education feel safer and more inclusive for these students.
Deafness
Deafness
When a student is deaf or hearing impaired (this can include audio processing disorders which jumble up words and sounds), it can make understanding peers and teachers difficult or impossible.
It is best to learn sign language from a certified teacher, or by asking people in the deaf community. Click on the Deafness button to find sign language resources (listed by region where each language is used), educational packets, and to learn about ways to make a classroom more inclusive for deaf or hard-of-hearing students.
Learning Disabilities
Learning Disabilities
Some students may have mild to extreme learning disabilities or challenges that don't technically fall under "disability" yet still make learning incredibly challenging.
Having a learning disability doesn't mean a student is "too stupid to learn", but rather that there is something neurological that makes the process more challenging in class settings than it would be for people without the same condition.
It is possible for people to have more than one challenge or disability. Some might be diagnosed, while others may have been missed, or worse, their parents/guardians may refuse to have the child diagnosed from fear of social repercussions.
If a student is routinely struggling in areas that their peers are not, then some of the methods may help them overcome these issues. Click the Learning Disabilities button to learn more about what educators and students can do to make learning easier.
Mobility
Mobility
Depending on the student, mobility issues might range from trouble writing, to difficulty in walking, or they may not able to do either at all.
Our Mobility page is intended to help educators implement solutions that will lower barriers to engaging in learning and play.
Gender Inequality
Gender Inequality
Reusable Period Supplies
Reusable Period Supplies
Each month kids all around the world end up missing out on school because of their periods. In some countries girls sit around on pieces of cardboard, while others miss out on sports and other important activities because of fear or leaks. Charity workers and people taking surveys hear many horror stories of women, girls, and queer community members turning to toilet paper, loo rolls, leaves, sponges, and even slices of bread because they can neither access nor afford proper period protection.
Period poverty keeps women, girls, and queer members of our communities locked in a cycle of poverty, especially when it impacts our ability to access education.
Healthcare Access
Healthcare Access
Organizations & Networks
Organizations & Networks
Africa
Africa
Uganda
Uganda
S.H.E.: Keeping Girls in School Initiative "1. Access: Each year, S.H.E. selects primary and high schools in different parts of rural Africa to closely work with, doing a thorough assessment of school attendance before and after each project. We will be providing reusable sanitary pads- a kit with 4 pads of different sizes, storage bags, and underwear that can be used for up to a year. This is an easy solution and one that not only reduces waste but also supports local women manufacturers of Uganda where AfriPads is based. These kits take away the stress of needing a new packet of pads each month. S.H.E. will donate these pads, passing no costs to the girls. Help us do so by donating to the cause.
2. Increased Gender Sensitivity and WASH Infrastructure: We are working with volunteers in the community and our partners to improve toilets and water facilities in schools. We also want to enhance privacy, emphasize waste disposals in toilets- all to increase gender sensitivity, and make them more ideal for periods.
3. Educational Workshops and Booklets: Increased resources and information; also encouraging offline period trackers. We are putting information in the girls’ hands- information that they don’t necessarily have to go out and get. We want to make it easier and quicker for them to have many of their questions and dilemmas answered. With our workshops, the goal is to increase menstrual education and practices but also tap into sexual health education. We do fun workshops to make the topic an easier one to discuss openly, and in a more relaxed setting. We will be including a lot of boys and male heads in conversations to increase awareness and reduce negative stigma."
North America
North America
Canada
Canada
British Columbia
Grants & Funding
Grants & Funding
Explore what types of financial support you may be able to access for individual students or to make your school more accessible in general. Including, money for equipment, safer infrastructure around schools, and funds for sensory gardens which all students can enjoy.
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