Accessibility4Equity: Cripping technology‐mediated compulsory education through sociotechnical praxis
Authors: Shaheen Natalie L. 
Published: August 2021

During COVID‐19, technology has frequently mediated schools' emergency remote learning. Tragically, many of those technologies, despite legal requirements to the contrary, are inaccessible to disabled youth—a pattern of oppression within compulsory education that predates the pandemic by almost two decades and is rooted in ableism. In this paper, I advance a new interdisciplinary framework—Accessibility4Equity (A4E)—that integrates existing single‐discipline theories to explain the messy interactions among human and non‐human actors engaged in learning that is equitable and accessible to disabled youth within the context of compulsory education. A4E asserts that equitable technology‐mediated education is (1) constructed by educators and disabled people collaboratively cripping discourse and practice through sociotechnical praxis, (2) born technologically and pedagogically accessible; and (3) requires institutions to have the capacity to cultivate access intimacy and swiftly respond to individual needs. Hence, A4E is a framework that scholars and practitioners can use to begin the complex social change that is required to disrupt the unjust status quo and reimagine technology‐mediated compulsory education as a place that values and is hospitable to disabled youth.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

Technologies and instructional practices that oppress and exclude disabled youth are consistently used in compulsory education.

Flexible pedagogical approaches make learning more accessible to disabled youth.

The features and functionalities that make technology accessible to disabled adults are operationalised in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, which are incorporated into laws and policies around the world.

Abled power shapes technology‐mediated environments and disabled people's access to them.

What this paper adds

An interdisciplinary framework that explains the messy interactions among human and non‐human actors engaged in equitable and accessible technology‐mediated learning within the context of compulsory education.

A framework, which is more valuable than the sum of its parts, for identifying and beginning to dismantle the systemic ableism that is embedded in technology‐mediated compulsory education.

Equitable technology‐mediated education is (1) constructed by educators and disabled people collaboratively cripping discourse and practice through sociotechnical praxis, (2) born technologically and pedagogically accessible; and (3) requires institutions to have the capacity to cultivate access intimacy and swiftly respond to individual needs.

Implications for practice and policy

To dismantle the systemic ableism embedded in technology‐mediated learning environments, teachers and administrators must (1) pause to critically reflect on their beliefs and actions, (2) ally themselves with disabled youth and adults; and (3) act to ensure equitable access.

Acting to ensure equitable access includes (1) examining and remediating existing learning environments, (2) proactively constructing born accessible learning environments moving forward; and (3) developing the capacity to cultivate access intimacy and swiftly respond to individual needs.