Session title: Different approaches to accessibility
Session summary:
The way that we understand and approach accessibility is driven by our own values and motivators for creating more accessible learning environments. Often, this is influenced by our own experiences of access, inclusion, and exclusion. This week, we’ll have an opportunity to look at different approaches and mindsets regarding accessibility, (rights-based approach, justice-based approach) and reflect and share our own approaches and mindsets regarding the accessibility work that we engage in. This is rooted in the idea of accessibility praxis (rather than practice) which integrates practice (tangible actions) with our values, beliefs, and underlying ethical orientation. This session is based on workshop
series that Dani has been delivering on bridging our values with our practices.
Speaker Bio:
Danielle Dilkes is an Educational Developer and PhD candidate whose work focuses on examining different perspectives on and approaches to inclusive pedagogy in higher education. She leads the Universal Design for Learning and accessibility programming at the Centre for Teaching and Learning at Western University in London, Ontario Canada. She approaches inclusive teaching from a design lens through a critical stance, meaning that her work is focused not only on making existing educational environments and systems more accessible and inclusive, but on leading transformative change to create more inherent equitable environments and systems.