The Shifting Landscape of Digital Accessibility for Students With Visual Impairments in K-12 Schools: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility

Abstract

Technologies based on universal design foster greater inclusion and proactively embed accessibility for all learners. Today, the digital workflow of students with visual impairments incorporates universally accessible tools used alone or alongside specialized assistive technologies. At the same time, opportunities remain to address persisting gaps in inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility within the K-12 landscape. Among these priorities, there is a need to empower educators and administrators with the tools to ensure accessibility in classroom content, embed disability allyship in change management efforts, consider access equity within change measurement outcomes, and contemplate the empowering ways that accessible digital tools can be used to deepen student engagement and diversify the curriculum. This chapter traces the shift from traditional to mainstream digital accessibility for students with visual impairments, outlining how broader issues of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility can inform and advance inclusive learning and UDL implementation efforts.