The class on accessible tech was by far my favorite class so far. I particularly liked it because tech for accessibility in education is something that is really important to me.
My background is in outdoor education. Both of my parents work at Foothill Horizons Outdoor School and I have worked as an outdoor educator at two different summer camps.
In outdoor education, technology for accessibility looks very different from conventional schools. However, I see it as equally important in both environments. Teachers often use accessibility as an excuse to avoid bringing students outside, and I believe it is important that we uplift accessible technologies for the outdoors. In this post, I am going to dig into some of my favorite accessible technologies that help all people enjoy the outdoors.
Paddling Accessibility Tech
For paddling activities, my favorite accessibility tech is boat launch systems that help paddlers without use of their lower bodies enter the boats.
Hiking Accessibility Tech
Another area or accessible tech that I love is tech to make hiking accessible to everyone. This includes all terrain wheelchairs for people who would like to travel on somewhat bumpy paths on their own power and all terrain joggers for folks who want to experience really remote places on tough paths with the help of others.
These are just two of many options for accessible technology that we can use to help people enjoy going outside. These are some of the more pricey options, but fortunately there are options for teachers who want to rent these for their students. Power to Be is a great resource for people in Victoria who are interested in technologies to help people go outside.
Maya,
This is a great post. I like the direction you took with it. Accessibility can take many different forms and creating opportunities where everyone can take part in outdoor activities is so important. The two examples you provided — the boat launch and all terrain wheelchairs — are wonderful examples of technologies available that can make our classes more inclusive. The post was well written and engaging. The only constructive criticism I can think of is that it left me begging for more. I couldn’t help but wonder what else could be out there increasing outdoor accessibility.