As an educator and disability advocate, when I talk about accessibility, I inevitably talk about inclusion. Inclusion, to me, simply means that people don’t feel like an afterthought when they enter a room. Within education, this means that students with diverse disabilities have their needs met in ways that work for them. That said, people with disabilities are diverse, and sometimes an accessibility need may not be anticipated, but if students see that various accessibility efforts have been made, it may be easier for them to express their needs. I am not an instructional designer, but I do regularly seek ways to improve and advance accessibility and inclusion in my classrooms. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (United Nations, 2006) treats disability as an evolving concept. Similarly, endeavors to foster inclusion and accessibility should be treated as an ongoing process.

This book, by Dr. Rob Power, is a useful guide for educators and students concerned with making ongoing improvements to accessible learning resources in their classrooms. It is also a helpful resource for anyone seeking advice on making various digital resources accessible.  Dr. Power clearly addresses why accessibility is important, not just from a legal perspective but also in a practical sense. This book offers detailed guidance, complemented by a range of user-friendly resources, on meeting accessibility standards for a host of learning resources, including documents, websites, images, videos, PDFs, and PowerPoints. Peer-reviewed contributions from Dr. Power’s students also broaden the range of topics covered in the book. The use of stories, videos, and shorter and longer reads, along with interactive activities, makes this an educational and fun resource for a wide range of learners and learning needs and preferences.

Dr. Tammy Bernasky

Assistant Professor in the Department of L’nu, Political, and Social Studies at Cape Breton University and Disability Rights Advocate

E-mail: Tammy_Bernasky@cbu.ca

Reference

United Nations. (2006). United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. https://social.desa.un.org/issues/disability/crpd/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities-crpd