disability 224133 960 720In some of the world’s poorest countries, up to 95% of disabled children are out of school, despite education being a basic human right. In developed countries, this rate is not much lower at 90%. Almost 93 million children are out of school because of a disability.
These students are excluded because of discrimination, lack of training in inclusive teaching methods among teachers, and a lack of accessible schools catering to their needs.
The internet creates an environment free from discrimination and can level the playing field and allow disabled students an equal opportunity to a good education.
Some of the most influential disabled people that have influenced our lives
- Stephen Hawking, one of the most well-known physicists in the world, and was diagnosed with ALS when he was 21.
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) is considered to be one of the greatest American presidents was paralyzed from the waist down and spent his life in a wheelchair.
- Ralph Braun – the late founder of the Braun Corporation – one of the leading manufacturers of wheelchair accessible vehicles
- John Hockenberry is one of the most successful journalists in history
- Marlee Matlin is an Academy Award winning actress, known for her leading role in Children of a Lesser God
- Stevie Wonder, the legendary musician, the singer-songwriter was born blind
- Frida Kahlo is one of the most famous artists of the twentieth century
- Helen Keller, an author, political activist, and lecturer was the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.
- Lenin Moreno, one of the most powerful people with a disability to hold the public office since FDR was the Vice President of Ecuador from 2007 to 2013
- Sudha Chandran is a famous ‘Bollywood’ dancer and television actress, who lost a leg to infection in 1981 after a car accident.
Blockchain technology applications and the information on the internet provides the perfect opportunity and vehicle for including disabled students into a global learning environment, giving them the confidence and tools to compete with their able-bodied counterparts equally. It would not only give them the ability to access education but the ability to store their study records safely for future use.
New technologies are allowing disabled access to education
Learning for a disabled student was once a pipe dream, and something that to attain could have meant overcoming incredible hardships. In many parts of the world, it still is, but the internet and emerging new technologies are allowing disabled people easier access to education.
Technology continues to grow at an incredibly fast pace and with each growth spurt comes new technologies that solve challenges that were once unimaginable.
The Internet and online learning have changed the flow and direction of learning for disabled students.
It allows disabled students to learn at their own pace and in their own space.
Technology helps disabled distance learning students :
- promotes convenience with access to online academic resources from the comfort of their own home;
- communicate with other communities of online learners and teachers from their homes, saving the challenges and many hours of commuting to an educational institution.
- creates an environment which encourages a sense of motivation as their strengths rather than their limitations are highlighted o
- allows rapid development and a positive attitude toward learning as confidence develops
- promotes curiosity and resilience
- offers easily learning accessible materials
- removes the stigma of having a disability and fosters and encouraging a learning environment
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