Overview: This section raises awareness of the barriers that exist in traditional classroom materials and media and highlights an understanding that traditional materials and media may be a barrier to learning.

Presenter Instructions: Begin this section with an activity to engage the audience in an authentic educational experience to understand that barriers exist in printed text not only for students with an identified disability but also for others.

The following activity simulates an individual's experience in reading text that may present barriers.

Activity goal: Engage the audience in an authentic educational experience to understand that barriers exist in printed text not only for students with an identified disability but also for others.

Activity materials:

Printed quiz, use the “Spy quiz” (doc) (pdf)

Four versions of the same printed text, use “The Spy passages” (doc) (pdf)

1 copy of a very light (as in barely visible) text passage.

equal number of copies for the number of audience participants of the following texts.

one version with six Cyrillic-like characters

one version with twelve Cyrillic-like characters

one version with eighteen Cyrillic-like characters

Activity procedures:
Staple the quiz and one version of the text as a handout.

Randomly hand out stapled quiz and one version of the text, without telling audience that the versions are different; place stapled materials face down, asking audience not to turn over until the instructions are given.

Instructions (presenter simulates teacher instructions and a classroom environment):

Time for task: 4 minutes

Presenter say:
“This is a quiz.”

“Do not talk to others during the quiz,” noting that you cannot answer questions during the quiz.

“Read the information carefully and do your best.”

“Do remember that this quiz is to be used as a major part of your grade.”

During this activity, make some distracting noises to simulate what happens in the classroom (visitors at the door, PA announcements, chatting with another colleague, etc.).

Ask for papers and discuss experiences of audience
Debriefing:

Debriefing focuses on barriers to success, e.g. difficulty of text, inability to decode difficult words, distractions in the room. Do not focus on solutions.

Wrap-up comments:

Connect this activity to real life classroom experiences, noting that students do not come to the classroom on equal footing; students have their own preferences, strengths, weaknesses, etc., and yet all students are expected to respond to standard one size fits all materials and media.