The upside of disrupted teaching for neurodiverse and disabled students: 10 ways to disrupt pedagogical practices that disregard the importance of accessibility

Over the past year, many of us have had to adapt our teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the conditions that have been forced upon are less than ideal, there are far more serious consequences for those who are already marginalised. As Wright, Haastrup, and Guerrina (2021) have shown, the long-term effects of COVID-19 are looking severe. They argue that the COVID-19 crisis is further limiting the boundaries of who gets to be academically creative, with caring responsibilities (both at home and within institutions) hindering the capacities of many women and others in marginalised groups. The realities of expanding gender and BAME pay gaps are serious, and we do not wish to undermine how much work needs to be done. Rather, this list is a way to approach the pandemic pragmatically, allowing educators to embrace the opportunities presented to interrupt the status quo and centre accessibility and inclusivity in pedagogy, and, just as important, the academy as a whole. This has particular opportunities for supporting students with disabilities, mental health challenges, or with neurodiversities (Baker 2011). The authors of this piece are two senior PhD candidates with years of teaching experience, including as graduate teaching assistants. Both authors are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy, and are key contributors to their departmental Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion committees. Growing from our teaching and research practice, we developed a pedagogical teaching guide: ‘Teaching to Include Everyone: A Practical Guide for Online Teaching of Neurodiverse and Disabled Students.’ This document is freely available, and focuses on low-effort, high-impact behaviours that teachers of any level can use to improve the inclusivity of their teaching practice. The guide includes a variety of examples as well as specific explanations and three general principles and showcases how inclusive teaching practices can benefit all students, not just those who are neurodiverse or have disabilities. The guide has been developed into successful workshops for GTAs and academic teaching staff at King’s College London.