For many students, an inclusive environment is needed to be able to excel. SHS strives to make sure that sort of environment is physically and socially achieved.
To reach this goal, SHS has implemented a variety of methods to prioritize accessibility. These resources are often overlooked by students, but should be appreciated.
With over six ramps around the school and one elevator accessible to students, these internal facets assist students who are handicapped in getting to their classes in a timely manner.
Going hand-in-hand with this, teachers are often understanding of students with disabilities, as they may let them leave class early, allowing them more time to get to the next class safely. Though ramps are not scarce around the school, if one is trying to move down or up floors, they can be a little time-consuming to get to.
Regardless, it does not take away from the fact that these structural features help students have equal access to most of the building in a safe manner.
While SHS has the ability to help their students physically, it’s not just about assisting them in that way, but also aiding the copious amount of students academically and socially.
As the population of EL students grows, the need to make sure those students get an equal amount of academic help as non-EL students grows as well. According to the SHS website, there are eight interpreters and one Deaf or Hard of Hearing teacher working at the school. While there are many languages spoken at SHS, the interpreters are still a great help to students.
For teachers who may not specialize in or even know a second language, some instructors, like business teacher Ashley Quinlin, use AI translating earbuds in order to understand some of their EL students.
The earbuds, which connect to an app on a phone, are able to translate many languages. The speaker selects a language, puts the phone down and begins speaking. The app then replays the words in the language that is selected. When the other person is ready, they can speak into the phone, and through the earbuds, the translated speech is played.
Quinlin says that before using the earbuds, she had to use her phone or computer to communicate with students through Google Translate. This process was time-consuming and inefficient, whereas the translating earbuds helps with both utilizing time and communicating with students better.
Schools will always need to make sure students excel academically and get the most of their education. However, the first step to make sure students are learning is to give them a safe, welcoming environment to move around in without feeling excluded. Some schools might fall short in assisting their students’ every need, and though there is always room for improvement at SHS, their efforts to advance their accessibility should be recognized.