Anne is an experienced Itinerant Support Teacher Hearing (ISTH) and works part time as the Education Manager for MAA.
What have been a few of the highlights of 2010 for you in your area of access?
A highlight for me has been the high levels of enthusiasm, commitment and goodwill exhibited by La Salle Catholic College and Cerdon College as part of the Classroom Access Project (CAP). The success of the CAP pilots run at these two schools has allowed us to closely examine access to captioned media in real classroom settings. I really look forward to continued reflection on the CAP process, in order to further refine this access solution for students with hearing impairment.
Another highlight has been the continued strong and positive liaison across the education sectors regarding the need for captioned access for students who are deaf and those with hearing impairment. The message of accessibility to electronic media is one that is so relevant and pertinent to everyday school practice.
Media Access Australia (MAA) was involved on the Steering Committee for Ai-Media’s Ai-Live initiative, which provides live captioning of the teacher’s voice directly to a student’s laptop, delivered via a re-speaker located remotely. This exciting concept for the classroom opens up access to teacher instruction for students who are deaf or hearing impaired in mainstream schools, and complements the work of the Classroom Access Project.
What was involved in the Classroom Access Project?
The idea behind the CAPs was to consider important questions about access and inclusion for school students who are deaf or hearing impaired. Key components of the pilots were the interplay of technology as an access tool, the uptake of technology and the clear benefits of captioned resources for all students. Positive feedback has been received from both school staff and students as to the efficacy of the pilot.
What was one of the challenges faced in your area in 2010?
There is an ongoing challenge associated with the voice of access being heard in the development of the National Curriculum. We made a submission to the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) highlighting the accessibility needs for students with sensory impairment in the development of the draft curriculum, with a focus on accessible resources. Key concerns voiced by MAA included the need for teacher professional development to focus on access to curriculum support materials for students with sensory impairment, and the importance of considering these students as a specific group with particular access needs. The voicing of these concerns will be an ongoing task into 2011.
How do you see accessibility improving in 2011?
I’m positive about moving in 2011 from an education perspective as there’s much more awareness about students with sensory impairment, and a growing understanding across the various education sectors of the needs associated with these students. There is a lot of great work already happening with regard to access in education and I am looking forward to continuing to highlight and work with the need for captioned access to curriculum support materials.
What’s your top pick for a gift with accessible features this festive season?
For a top accessibility Christmas gift I can’t go past a quality Christmas family movie with captions, such as Disney’s ‘A Christmas Carol.’ Watching captions as a family is a valuable and great experience for all!
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