Tech Institute Policy Analyst Presents on Digital Access for Students with Disabilities

September 26, 2020

On September 26, DeVan Hankerson Madrigal, Policy Analyst II at the Tech Institute, and Lydia X.Z. Brown, Policy Counsel at the Center for Democracy and Technology and former Associate of the Tech Institute, presented at the Let’s Talk LD College Planning and Transition Conference. This conference, designed specifically for neurodiverse learners and educators teaching students with disabilities, is one of only a few of its kind. Hankerson Madrigal and Brown’s session, “Ensuring Digital Access for Disabled Students: Policy and Practice for Advocates in the Pandemic,” discussed accessibility teaching strategies that support students with disabilities in their full legal rights to have meaningful access to education. The discussion highlighted that students with disabilities are less likely to be able to access online content, which is often inaccessible. The presenters also raised concerns about disabled students of color who may experience negative educational outcomes due to the intersecting harms of the digital divide during COVID and pre-existing marginalization related to their specific disability.