Innovation through Uniqueness

Steve Jobs once said, "because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do." It is the people that use their creativity to its fullest potential who thrive and become major role models to our society. Having a good education is just the beginning of the journey towards being able to make a change in this world. Hence, an education system through technology that increases engagement and is able to deliver equal quality content to students of all kinds is crucial.

The education system to this day has lacked on focusing to help students with disabilities learn the same content as students without disabilities. To focus on students with hearing disabilities or language barriers, a strategy is to use sign language and language translators for all oral and video lessons. All lessons would have an available button near the top right corner in which students can press to access the feature. Furthermore, students with eyesight disabilities can lean towards an artificial intelligence feature, such as Siri or Alexa that would help students open up lessons and access the site without having to click. With this feature, most lessons would be audio-based, but descriptive speech will be used to explain any visual components included in those lessons. Moreover, students with mental illnesses can use the "headspace" app which includes meditations or calming exercises integrated into the system and is available for students to use whenever they feel stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed. This feature can also help students with learning obstacles such as ADHD or anxiety overall.

For example, Rachel is a grade eleven student with ADHD and an eyesight disability. She struggles to learn properly in the classroom because she cannot focus, and cannot view the learning content properly. Hence, with these new features, Rachel can listen to the audio lessons and can take meditative breaks in between sessions to help her stay focused and calm.

Addressing this issue of inclusivity and accessibility specifically for students with disabilities is significant to me especially from my experience coaching many students in badminton. It was absolutely heartbreaking to see students with disabilities not being able to learn what other students were learning. Some pieces of advice on how I think peers can continue to demonstrate inclusion and embrace accessibility for students with disabilities in the upcoming new school year include the following. Students can learn through interactive activities and games, promote cultural activities, and educate students on equality, and most of all, ensure that all your students are happy and enjoy their time at school.