Accessible Distance Learning

These are challenging times.

Districts are creating entire systems of distance or online education from scratch, in a matter of weeks. The questions are endless. Do teachers have the technological skills, equipment or experience to implement these plans? Do families have enough computers for themselves and all of their children? Factor in the additional problems and questions around providing special education and services. How do we develop and implement plans that will enable our students to continue to obtain educational benefit while distanced from their traditional learning environments or settings and primary instructors?

With anything that we roll out, we need to also consider the exceptional stressors currently placed on families and students during this unique time and circumstances. Concerns about the health and safety of our family and friends. Economic impacts. The impacts of isolation and loss of normalcy on our ability to function and learn. These factors are multiplied in many ways when we talk about families with children with disabilities. We also have to consider our workforce...our administrators and teachers and special education providers who are impacted by these factors as well.