MarshAccess

Making Environmental Programs &

Field Experiences Accessible

JJ Rusher

Program Content

Fundamental Standard Enhanced

Science Content

Meadowlands Content

Science Tools Documentation

Program Design

Program Accessibility

Program Design

Fieldwork Documentation

• ejournal• Sketching• Bio-craft

Science Tools & Technology

• Measurement tools• Magnification devices• Field guide

Meadowlands Content

• Native plants• Invasive plants

STEM / Science Content

• Parts of a plant• Classification

Plant Life – NJ Meadowlands

Program Content

• Enhanced

• Standard

• Fun(damental)

Program Accessibility

• Physical / mobility • Cognitive / learning • Deafness and hearing loss • Blind and low vision • Older adults with age related

limitations in mobility, cognition / learning, hearing, and/or vision.

Program Accessibility

• Address wide range and variety of disabilities

• Accommodations developed for one disability group benefit all participants

Functional Approach

• Move from Disability Labels to Functional Abilities

• Based on: - Task to be accomplished

- Barriers to accomplishing that task

Functional Approach

• “Print” Disability

Task: Read hand-out

Functional Limitation: person unable to access standard printed materials

Barriers: ?

Functional Approach

• Print Disability

Barriers: - Unable to see printed material - sensory- Unable to process print - perception - Unable to read- Difficulty attending or focusing- Difficulty manipulating pages

Universal Design

• Architectural studies of physical access for people with disabilities

- Ramps, automatic doors, curb-cuts

• Eureka! Modifications helped or made life easier for all people

Curb-cut advantage

Universal Instructional Design

Design of instructional delivery methods,

materials and activities that allow

participation by learners with wide

differences in their abilities to see, hear,

speak, move, write, understand English,

attend, organize, engage, and remember.

-Council for Exceptional Children

Curb-cut Advantage

UID

• Inclusiveness

• Physical access

• Delivery methods

• Information access

• Interaction

• Feedback

• Demonstration of knowledge

Inclusiveness

• Climate of respect for

diversity

• Welcoming environment

Physical Access

• Design of learning space

• Minimize need for

sustained physical effort

• Assure safety

Delivery Methods

• Multiple modes

- Lecture

- Demonstration

- Discussion

- Hands-on / field work

- Group work

Information Access

• Visuals and text

• Large print / sans serif font

• Printed versions of oral

presentations

• Tactiles and models

• Information well organized

• Captioned audio and video

Interaction

• Open-ended questions

• Multiple choice questions

• Teams and partners

• Name tags / address by

name

• Communication aids

Feedback

• Prompting

• Verbal and physical cues

and clues

• Demonstrations

• Hand over hand assistance

Demonstration of knowledge

• Writing assists

- word banks

- text and picture labels

• Alternatives to writing tasks

- drawings; models

- Biocrafts

UID and Accessibility

• Accommodations and modifications, to extent possible, built in from

beginning; everyone benefits

• Does not eliminate the need for specific accommodations for individuals with disabilities

Pyramid of Accessibility

Program Content

Fundamental Standard Enhanced

Science Content

Meadowlands Content

Science Tools Documentation

Program Design

Program Accessibility

Active Participation

• What programs in your setting might be re-designed using UID?

• How might teaching strategies, accommodations, assistive technologies, adapted science tools be applied to your programs to make them more accesible?