Assembling Edu

In 2015, Travis Davis presented his TEDx Talk, "Incluse Me: Social Inclusion in Education." Today, we catch up with Travis about his background and the impact of that speech. We also talk about the work he's been doing, including his work with schools and his podcast, as well as discuss the importance of inclusion within education overall. (Episode Transcript)

In this episode, we talk to Brooke Allen of the Diverse Learners Cooperative, an organization dedicated to providing support for teachers and school teams to better support all students and their needs. We talk about the organization's dedication to authentic and meaningful professional development and training, how schools can work with the Diverse Learners Cooperative to co-design school solutions, and the fellowship program to provide leadership experiences and opportunities for special education teachers and multi-language teachers. (Episode Transcript)

In this episode, we interview Nate Tilton about the Disability Lab at UC Berkeley, a fully accessible and disability-inclusive makerspace. We talk about the creation of the space, its role as an identity makerspace, the design of the lab space and accessibility of the equipment, and the different projects that have been done and are currently being done. We also talk about topics related to disability in higher education. (Episode Transcript)

In this episode, we interviewed Vanessa Castañeda Gill, the CEO of Social Cipher, all about her company and its flagship game, Ava. Social Cipher is an SEL game focused on neurodivergent youth ages 10-15. We discuss the game, its impact on students, the way they utilize student feedback, and the overall representation for the neurodivergent community that the game provides. (Episode Transcript) 

Social Cipher Social Media Channels: 

In this episode, we talk to Sheryl Burgstahler about DO-IT, a program that has operated out of the University of Washington for the past thirty years. We discuss the various programs DO-IT has for helping support students with disabilities attending college and going into various fields of employment. We also talk about how the program trains higher education faculty and employers on accessibility and universal design. (Episode Transcript) 

In this episode, we interview Ed Dernulc and Cindy Day all about NBT's Inclusion Manufacturing Camps. We discuss the past two inclusion camps they have run, which focus on providing four weeks of training for individuals with disabilities to help them gain meaningful employment within the manufacturing industry. We also discuss the program's future and how it has been beneficial for employees so far (Episode Transcript) 

In this episode, we talk to Kent Streeb from Enchroma, a company that uses patented lens technology to design glasses for people with color vision deficiencies. We talk about colorblindness, the importance of ensuring school and work environments are accessible, and their program that brings their lenses to museums, schools, universities, and national and state parks. (Episode Transcript) 

In this episode, we interview David Hojah from Parrots, a company that designs technology to empower individuals with neurological challenges. Discover the different software options from Parrots and the considerations they gave to the design process to ensure that individuals can live more independent lives. (Episode Transcript)

In this episode, we interviewed Barbara Pape and Jessica Jackson from Digital Promise and discussed the Learner Variability Project. Specifically, we talk about the Learner Variability Navigator and the IEP Project and how both of these initiatives can help educators, students, and edtech companies work toward being more inclusive of the diverse needs of all learners. Some topics include research-supported practices and how to build strengths-based IEPs. (Episode Transcript) 

Sample Workspaces

In this episode, we interview Aaron Kelley from PlayVS and Brian Quinn from Special Olympics International about unified eSports. This program allows students to play on one inclusive, unified video game competition team. We talk about the structure of this program, how the program can make schools more inclusive, and the benefits for everyone involved. (Episode Transcript)