Universal Design: Insights from Special Education to Help All Students [15:12]

At the intersection between school librarians and special education teachers, there is a shared passion and call for ensuring student access to learning. One personal gift during the COVID-19 pandemic has been getting the rare opportunity to work daily within a shared quarantine bubble with a mild/mod special education teacher: my niece. In this conversation, high school education specialist Autumn Sannwald shares some of the accommodations that she uses to increase accessibility for students, particularly during distance learning. Autumn offers valuable reminders for us to consider for implementation when not only teaching students eligible for special education services, but for all students. In line with the Universal Design for Learning, we as school librarians must aim to design curriculum resources and deliver instruction in ways that allow students optimal access. The good news is that many of the shifts that can make a big impact really require only a small amount of effort on our part. The key is in to be mindful and intentional, and build the habit of seamlessly integrating these accommodations into our everyday practice. As Autumn reiterates, "Something that is good for a SpEd student is good for any student."