How to Make Classroom Lectures More Accessible
The thing to remember here is that whenever you write something on your board at the head of the class, or you hand out hard copies, or you are pointing to something in your class, you need to articulate what you are writing and point at.
However there are a few other things for you to keep in mind and the following list will give you a good start.
- As you write on your board, say out loud what you are writing.
- Whenever you are handing out hard copies of anything, say what they contain in summary form.
- If you are pointing to something in your classroom, then say what you are pointing to.
- If you are handing out hard copies of anything then you should also have electronic versions of said hard copies.
- You should ensure that there is enough room between desks, and that aisles are wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers.
- Those students with special needs (those with vision impairments or those who are hard of hearing) should be accommodated by enabling them to sit up front.
- Students should be allowed to tape their lectures.
- Do your best to ensure that classrooms do not contain too much noise while the lecture is in progress.
This is a good start and should give you additional ideas as to how to make your classroom lecture more accessible.
Note: It is not just making the lecture accessible but also the classroom itself.
Good luck!
I’m Donna J. Jodhan your freelance writer and roving reporter wishing you a terrific day.