AccessAbility: an exploration of the perspectives of educators who use digital tools to support students' learning

Abstract

This thesis explores the role of assistive technology in supporting Universal Design for Learning principles in K-12 education. The intersections of disability, advancements in technology and Universal Design for Learning served as a background and focus of this inquiry. The purpose of the study is to better understand the perspectives of educators who use digital technologies to support student learning. To investigate this, a narrative inquiry approach was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted virtually with four educators who use technology to support students with exceptionalities, and work in K-12 publicly funded schools in Ontario. Central to each narrative were themes of the necessity of assistive technology in true inclusion and the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, an educator perception of assistive technology supporting transferrable skills and holistic growth for students supporting both academic and social well-being, and the importance of professional learning for educators. An unexpected finding was a central theme of perceived stigma for students with disabilities. These findings suggest that assistive technology is critical for student learning and that it is timely to consider the role of stigma in the experience of students with disabilities.