The Puente Project recognizes the intersectional experiences of people with disabilities and strives to make accessibility the default, so that disabled members of our community can fully participate in all programming. We acknowledge that the traditional approach to disability services focuses unfairly on individualistic methods that rely on people to self-advocate and navigate bureaucratic processes. We assert that diversity should value differing abilities and neurodivergencies, and support the right to receive accommodations that are not solely tied to institutional processes. In practice, this means seeking disabled peoples’ voices on accessibility practices that enable their success, prioritizing accessible content and activities in our face-to-face and virtual spaces (*1), advocating for accessible campus services, connecting students with mental and physical health resources, and learning the context of disability justice on our campuses and in our regions. As we recognize the history of ableism in educational contexts, we work to develop better practices towards design justice (*2). We recognize that disability justice is an issue of holistic access that goes beyond the traditional framing of physical access.
References:
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Accessibility practices including, but not limited to: reframing our understanding of deadlines and time in the service of accessibility, captioning, and screen-readable documents and presentations.
Implementation Guide
Questions to Consider
How are you ensuring that online and in-person spaces are accessible to all participants, including those with disabilities?
+ Recommendations
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Research best practices for accessibility for classes and community events, both online and in person.
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Include an accessibility statement in your syllabus and program materials. Consult with your DSPS office for guidance and/or work with colleagues to research and craft a statement that goes beyond the boilerplate.
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Ask students/participants for anonymous feedback on how you can improve your course/program accessibility throughout each term.
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Invite participants to communicate any accessibility needs in advance of class or community events, with or without official school forms/processes.
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Believe participants when they share that they have an accessibility need. Do not ask invasive questions.
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Never police or monitor what you believe to be someone's "real ability." The only authority on someone's ability, level of safety, and capacity is the person themselves. Someone's capacity may vary from day-to-day.
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Keep all medical information confidential.
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Routinely share information on how to access disability services and assessments on your campus. De-stigmatize both being disabled and needing accommodations. Consider a class visit from disability services.
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Design with accessibility in mind; try to meet needs in advance.
What actions are being taken to ensure that this event/content/location/experience is accessible to disabled participants?
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Use as many infection risk-mitigation strategies as possible during a pandemic:
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When possible, hold events outdoors.
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Increase ventilation.
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Encourage + model masking.
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Provide testing for multi-day events.
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Communicate clearly any reported illnesses that arise during events.
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Be intentional about which events can happen successfully online, and which are better suited to in-person formats.
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Dedicate a planning meeting specifically to addressing accessibility needs. Consider not just physical accessibility, but also issues such as lighting, noise, fragrances, and more.
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Where possible, routinize accessibility moves into the planning process.
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Include ASL translation for all events when it is possible a Deaf community member may be in attendance. If holding a large event, include translation and/or live captioning as a default.
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Do not hold events at locations that are not, or can not be made, accessible to wheelchair users or participants with mobility disabilities.
How is accessibility being ensured for Deaf and hearing impaired participants?
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Always turn on captions and only use video with captions.
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Incorporate Sign Language Interpreting into event planning considerations.
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When possible, provide live captioning even for in-person events.
How is accessibility being ensured for neurodiverse participants?
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Provide frequent breaks in programming and identify spaces where people can take a break.
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Consider volume and sound and how to allow for customization.
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Use sans serif fonts.
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Avoid cluttered visual presentations/documents.
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Allow participation or group work to be opt-in.
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Provide many ways to participate that do not require physical touch, eye contact, or talking to strangers--such as electronic, text, and other means of sharing ideas with the group.
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Welcome, but do not compel or "call on" people to speak or share out
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Affirm that moving around the room and "stimming" are okay and do not be bothered by harmless behavior, even if it seems unusual to you.
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Always ensure that people can opt-in to potentially triggering discussions/topics, and provide other options.
How is accessibility being ensured for participants with mobility needs?
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Ensure that locations have ramps for all areas that need to be accessed.
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Check that there are accessible restrooms.
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Provide rest/transition breaks that account for the time required to move around the space.
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Ask for accessibility needs from participants at the first opportunity or point of contact, so that you may plan ahead.
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Even if no one expresses a need, plan for it. Someone can develop a need at any time.
How is accessibility being ensured for blind or vision impaired participants?
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Use verbal descriptions of visual content during presentations.
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Include image descriptions and headings for screen readers.
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Work with your DSPS office to learn the best ways to ensure full access to all events and materials.
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Check accessibility of image using contrast checking tools, such as Web AIM.
How are disabled participants able to assess the accessibility of an event/activity/material in advance? How are disabled participants able to request a particular accommodation in advance?
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Provide accessibility information on forms and flyers.
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Survey the specific needs of each participant in registration forms or signups.
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Contact participants in advance with any questions about accommodations.
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Always maintain confidentiality around specific individuals’ disabilities.
How are you addressing your and your organization’s ableism?
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Engage in a disability audit with your team. We recommend: Disability Justice Audit Tool by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha Make revisions to your organizational practices as a result of your reflections.
Additional Resources
Getting Started
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Autistic Self Advocacy Network. Inclusive Meetings and Accessible Event Planning Resources.
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Berne, Patty. Disability Justice as a Framework or see Sins Invalid 10 Principles of Disability Justice
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Inside Higher Ed, Disability as Diversity
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Lewis, Talila "TL." The Definition of Ableism.
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Piepzna-Samarasinha, Leah Lakshmi and Stacey Milbern. Disability Justice: An Audit Tool
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Quirici, Marion. "Student activism for disability justice and holistic access" (video)
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Accessible design guidance can be found at: CSU Northridge’s Universal Design Center
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Check for minimum digital compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0
Extend Your Knowledge
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Visit the Disability Visibility Project to learn more about disabled peoples' experiences and disability justice.
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Mingus, Mia. Access Intimacy: The Missing Link and Intimacy, Interdependence and Disability Justice
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Piepzna-Samarasinha, Leah Lakshmi. Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice
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Piepzna-Samarasinha, Leah Lakshmi. The Future is Disabled: Prophesies, Love Notes and Mourning Songs
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Sins Invalid, Skin, Tooth and Bone: The Basis of Movement is Our People (A Disability Justice Primer)
Deep Dive
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Kafai, Shayda. Crip Kinship: The Disability Justice and Art Activism of Sins Invalid
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Ramp Your Voice. "Black Disabled Women Syllabus: A Compilation"
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Wong, Alice (editor). Disability Visibility: First Person Stories from the 21st Century
Implementation Guide Navigation
Race + Immigrant Justice | Linguistic Justice | LGBTQIA+ Justice | Disability Justice | Environmental Justice
Curriculum
In 2023, Puente launched it's new online Puente Anthology, which is fully aligned with the Equity Framework and offers many resources and lessons to support educators looking for curricular resources.