Educational institutions are the pillars of society on which equality and access are built. Schools and universities provide the building blocks of the student to create a diverse future. There are many benefits when this is applied in addition to bringing a sense of belonging and community and promoting diversity and tolerance. This means that every student becomes fully involved in learning when all barriers-physical, cognitive, or social are removed. Specially when we highlight inclusive design principles, intersectionality of identity experiences and the use of technology in enhancing digital inclusion. All these are core parts of equity. The betterment of awareness and understanding regarding these highly pertinent issues will assure that inclusivity and accessibility are sustained in society.
-
Overcoming exclusion in society.
Overcoming exclusion involves promoting digital equity, such as inclusive content creation, accessible user experience, community guidelines, user feedback and continuous improvement and transparent inclusion policies. As well as promoting inclusivity in physical spaces, such as sensory considerations, cognitive accessibility, cultural and social inclusion (representation). And also creating awareness and education on societal biases for gender, such as implicit (unconscious) bias, confirmation bias, and stereotyping. By promoting digital equity, inclusivity in physical spaces and awareness of societal biases within aspects like ability, gender, race and socioeconomic status we act against the many forms of exclusion in society.
-
Making AT (Assistive technologies) more accessible.
To make assistive technologies more accessible, there needs to be an increase in awareness and training (Education), this can be done through workshops, training programs, and awareness campaigns. Also initiatives to lower the costs of assistive devices and software, such as subsidies, grants, or partnerships with manufacturers. Utilizing AI and machine learning, its advancements are enhancing accessibility with more accurate real-time captioning, translations, and adaptive interfaces that learn individual user preferences. Support for all languages as many AT solutions are designed for widely spoken languages, leaving non-English-speaking users underserved. As well as advocating for accessibility laws.
-
Creating awareness around societal biases that affect individuals and communities.
Building awareness and education about societal biases are fundamental to create inclusive spaces not only within the walls of schools, workplaces or on digital platforms but everywhere as part of our society. By understanding how prejudices within contexts like gender, race, ability and socioeconomic status influence individuals’ experiences in society, we can take a step forward in breaking down those biases.
-
Valuing underrepresented identities and breaking gender norms.
We aim to highlight the importance of valuing underrepresented identities to create a world that fosters diversity by including the perspectives and voices of marginalized individuals. By challenging limiting gender norms we open up space for individuals to feel respected and seen.
-
Empowering inclusion through intersectionality.
Inclusivity grows with the understanding of how different factors like gender, ability, race and socioeconomic status create unique barriers and opportunities. We want to celebrate the different potentials that lie within each person and stand up for a reality in which backgrounds are brought into the foreground, creating room for every individual to reach its full potential.
In our commitment to recognizing underrepresented voices, we work on demolishing existing barriers and moving away from contemporary norms toward a community in which equity isn’t an ideal phenomenon but a unified existence.
We have to value inclusion and accessibility in all aspects of life if we aim for a society where everyone feels seen, heard, and important. We ask educators, policymakers, businesses, and communities to take action against the many forms of oppression that stand in the way of full participation, representation, and power for oppressed groups. In doing so, we create environments wherein each person can learn and flourish despite physical, cognitive, or social challenges.
