Instructions

Each group has been given a hypothetical, inaccessible scenario based on real scenarios.

  • Spend ~5 minutes discussing ways you would make the scenario more accessible
  • Use what we’ve talked about, but also your own experiences!
  • Then, discuss with your partner pods for ~5 minutes
  • Talk about ways you made the scenarios more accessible
  • See if your actions would work with their scenario (and vice versa)
  • Discuss steps to take as an educator in the future

Scenarios

Scenario 1

During recitation section, while you’re going through review slides on insert topic here, a student raises their hand, saying “I can’t really see what you’re pointing at.” You go ahead and increase the size of the slides by zooming in, asking them if it helps. “Kinda, but not really.”

Scenario 2

You’re in the office hours, helping a student with a programming assignment. They mention they are neurodivergent and apologize if they: ask the same question several times, need extra time to process information, and struggle to put their thoughts into words.

Scenario 3

Office hours are busy—the room is loud, chaotic, and crowded. You start your shift, taking the first student in the queue. They look stressed and overwhelmed. As you sit down, they quietly mention: “Sorry, I have sensory overload, but I really need help with this assignment due tonight.”

Scenario 4

Throughout the course, you’ve used live coding in your section, narrating as you type. After a class on insert topic here, one of your students comes to you, mentioning that they find it hard to follow along because they process information slower. However, another student right after them says they really need visual reinforcement (images, diagrams, etc.)

Scenario 5

You’re explaining insert topic here in section, and afterwards, a student privately tells you that they are hard of hearing, and while they can hear you speaking, they struggle to keep up due to background noise and how fast you talk. They don’t use sign language or request an official accommodation, but still find it difficult to follow along.

Scenario 6

In office hours, you queue up a student with low vision (they mention it in their notes) who needs help with debugging. As they show you their screen, you notice that they’re using a screen magnifier, but are struggling to navigate their code and read error messages. They keep zooming in and out, making it difficult for you to follow along and help them.

Scenario 7

One of your students tells you they are coming from a class across campus to recitation section and tends to be late. As a result, the only seats are in the back of the classroom—which makes it hard for them to learn and see the TV (there is no projector in this room.) They would like to be able to sit in the front if possible, but feel embarrassed for asking or forcing others to move.

Scenario 8

It’s a typical day in office hours, and you queue up your next student. As they explain their problem, they scroll and type slowly, often needing to pause and stretch their hands. They briefly mention they have a mobility impairment that makes typing difficult. After 10 minutes, they feel self-conscious and apologize for slowing things down, saying “You can go help other people, I’m being too slow.”

Scenario 9

There’s a quiz this week! Your class seems pretty mixed when it comes to preparedness—but one of your students seems overly anxious. During the first quiz, this student was stressed, making audible noise and disrupting other students. You talked to them about it, and they don’t have control of these interruptions, it’s an effect of their anxiety.