This topic is really near and dear to my heart, and I love what society does, and the fact it is volunteer-run is incredibly powerful. As someone who has felt the effects of lack of inclusive education and technology on a personal level, what BCEdAccess is doing is very important to me and my pedagogy, and the sign of hopefully moving forward. Though, the fact that this is run by volunteers and not by government officials, which highlights where we still need to go.

The example of ableism is incredibly important; I have had issues around this for my life. I have had a hearing loss since I was around 2 years old, and my whole experience has revolved around ableism, both internal and external. I got my first hearing aid when I was in university and did not see myself as having a disability until I registered with CAL in my second year at UVic, but honestly until this school year. I had always just had the opinion that “It isn’t that severe, I know people who are harder of hearing than me or have a more severe type of brittle bones, I am fortunate” That still follows me today, and the road to self-acceptance is not a straight one, and the most blatant ableism I have faced has been in the post-secondary system, and being told that my disability isn’t relevant to the material, when it was a listening based assignment.

As I mentioned in the chat in class, I am receiving my first FM system THIS YEAR, (it should arrive within the next week or two as I write this) 21 years after my hearing loss was identified, and the factors I just mentioned factor into that, and also, these systems can be starting at $1000 +. I went through an organization called the ATCB and started through CAL, and they are able to give assistive technology to people who can demonstrate financial need through StudentAidBC, and they are able to supply at least hearing-related technology. I am unsure of their capacity in the public school system, but I thought it could be useful to name the people who helped me in case someone else is in my situation. We as teachers need to be sensitive that these students may not even actively identify as disabled but need support. Self-advocacy is incredibly draining in today’s world as a young person, and assistive technology is very expensive, hearing aids at the most basic levels can be easy $1500+ for each ear ($3000+ for a pair of course) This is my first experience using live transcriptions in zoom, and I am incredibly impressed. I had a whole school year and not one professor used it.

When I was in school and before I learned to accept and celebrate who I am, I felt much more shame and “different” from my peers, because I spent many years being separated from my classes in PE and my hearing began to factor into my identity as a music student, that how much representation matters in all degrees. I have never seen a musician who has a smaller hearing loss and can still participate and get a music degree. We see the fully deaf or blind, etc. And that representation is equally important, but representation at ALL levels matters and that is why I am open about my hearing loss because I have found people have been grateful for my voice and telling my story and being open. It is part of my identity and that is not a bad thing, it is who I am is just as important as my identity as a musician, teacher candidate, and everything else that makes me who I am, and informs my perspective, pedagogy and choices, and there is value in that. This realization was a product of ableism that I faced and why I chose to be much more open in a class setting which is particularly rare in a music classroom.

What makes this difficult for teachers?

My assumptions would be legal and confidentiality related of course, and from my experience in my undergraduate degree, is that teachers lack knowledge around special needs and accommodations and how to support them without overstepping a boundary or making an accidental misjudgment or saying the wrong thing. If you do not experience ableism and the experience of a disabled person, you will not have the experience, and when people do not want to learn how to advocate for students or feel uncomfortable speaking for students, especially older students. At the secondary level especially, I beg teachers and professionals to listen to their disabled students, because it is their unique experience and they know themselves better than anyone else will and listen to their voice and story.

As a summary, I know I went off the rails topic-wise in this reflection, but this topic is so important to me, my story and my pedagogy. I am so grateful for Tracy, her time, her and her organization’s work, and having a conversation about special needs in the classroom, which doesn’t always happen. Everything in my pedagogy revolves around a very simple question, which has both simple and more complex answers. That question is “How much is a student WORTH?” They are worth everything, and deserve equity, and access to education, and are worth everything that goes into accessibility.

This is the FM system I am going to be using-https://www.phonak.com/ca/en/hearing-aids/accessories/roger-on.html Which can be controlled by an app on my phone and uses a compilot, which connects to the hearing aid and is worn around the neck. I am hoping (from the information I have received it should) it arrives before semester ends, if not I am happy to bring it next term!