Mescall says . “ The spectrum ranges from effectively communicating wants and needs to aiming for college . Infused into everything we do are lessons that develop the skills students need to fully access the world around them .”
During a typical school day , Ross teaches middle school science , plus courses in environmental science and physical science for high schoolers . In the classroom , she is constantly pivoting , helping a student guide his cane into its desk-side holster ; guiding another ’ s fingers along a tactile diagram ; cheering the student playing the role of a root , who feels her way past desks to hand a water molecule to the one playing the trunk of a tree .
“ All my classes are unique ,” Ross says . “ Each has students of different abilities and with different IEP [ individual education plan ] goals , so they all have different learning modes as well .”
Pulling together to support remote learning
During the pandemic lockdowns when institutions across the country transitioned to remote learning , inequities in education were felt acutely by families with kids managing physical disabilities .
Lack of access to laptops and adaptive software and devices meant that some students couldn ’ t complete their coursework , according to Sarah McManus , digital learning director for Education Services for the Deaf and Blind at the North Carolina Department of Public Education . Many students were sharing a tablet or computer with an entire family ( one shared a single device among seven siblings ), and those without room for a dedicated workspace were trying to study in makeshift spaces like on a bed or in the hallway .
HP supported GMS with a donation of technology “ bundles ” and ongoing training , which included laptops and docking stations ; large monitors so that text could be magnified for those with some sight ; external keyboards that could be used with software that translates letter keys into braille keys ; and noisecanceling headphones with high-quality microphones so that students could block out distractions and focus on remote instruction .
Half of the bundles went home with students , and half were set up on-site in the new HP computer learning lab , so that when the students returned to school last fall , they had access to the same setup on campus . HP also donated technology-focused professional development training for teachers and staff , as well as access to
HP LIFE , HP Foundation ’ s online business and digital literacy skills courses . In addition , HP ’ s Office of Aging and Accessibility and members from product design teams conducted interviews with students to learn how to make the devices more accessible .
The technology made all the difference to students like Avery B ., 19 , who is taking a bonus year at the school . He said that , without the HP bundle , he would have had to struggle along with his mother ’ s old computer . “ I would manage , but it would have been hard ,” he says .
Thriving on campus
Inside the HP lab , a sunny space lined with computers , a big screen loops in students learning remotely . The room is noisy , the students engaged .
Paitton I ., 14 , listens to the robotic voice of JAWS as it reads back her notes on Chernobyl . She has ZoomText turned on so that the words are big enough for her to read if she leans in close . Receiving the information both aurally and visually helps it stick . “ I would probably still be super behind in school and still be getting bad grades without this ,” she explains . Jabien C ., 14 , says being able to use a big screen meant he could keep on learning . “ I have enough vision that I only need large print ,” he said , and magnifying the text would have been nearly impossible on a laptop .
“ Our students have unique perspectives and ways of solving complex problems — they just need to be invited to the conversation .”
— Matt Mescall , principal , Governor Morehead School for the Blind
Back in her classroom , Ross turns to a TV to include a student learning about the functions of a plant from home , then guides an in-person student ’ s hands as they feel their way along a brailler .
She turns again to the screen , drawing in the remote student by assigning him the role of the biggest star in our solar system . “ Sun !” she calls out enthusiastically to focus his attention . “ We need you now . Go ‘ Ka-pow ! Ka-pow !’ We can ’ t have photosynthesis without you !”
For more photos of life at GMS , turn the page J
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