New! Standards for Inclusive Schools and International Creativity Month

FieldingNotes: Where Accessibility and Creativity Collide

Jan 19, 2025

If you're following me here, you're likely passionate about ensuring accessible classrooms. If you're a new follower—perhaps after hearing me at FETC—welcome! Accessibility and creativity in education are my jam.

Standards for Inclusive Schools

This week, The Nora Project, co-authored by the amazing Jordyn Zimmerman (huge fan—go follow her!), released its Standards for Inclusive Schools. These standards, designed for both educators and students, are organized into three domains: Diversity, Community, and Advocacy.

Reflecting on these standards through the lens of my own experiences as a student with cystic fibrosis, here are my thoughts:

Diversity

I wish my classmates had been introduced to ableism as a form of discrimination. Growing up, I didn't even encounter the term until adulthood. It would have been empowering to name that feeling and understand its impact earlier in life.

Community

In 5th grade, I had a teacher tell me, "I don’t know why you think you’re special," because I was allowed accommodations like having a water bottle and sitting near a fan. Legally, she fulfilled my needs, but her attitude undermined my dignity. The Community Standards emphasize classrooms where educators and students co-regulate their needs to coexist harmoniously. This approach would have fostered respect rather than resentment.

Advocacy

School was where I built my advocacy toolkit. As a military brat often starting at new schools, I regularly explained my treatments and medications during show-and-tell to help classmates understand why I coughed. The Advocacy Standards call for equipping students with the skills to navigate and challenge barriers—a skillset I deeply value and wholeheartedly support.

I’m excited to incorporate these standards into my work and share them with teachers in future presentations. Accessibility isn’t just a checkbox; it’s about fostering belonging for all. Check out The Nora Project's Standards for Inclusive Schools here.

Missed FETC? No worries—you can access all my resources here.

Wondering where to catch me next?

Here’s where I’ll be speaking soon:

TCEA: February 1–5
PETE&C: February 9–12
IdeaCon: February 17–19

Hope to see you there!

#A11y Tech Tip:

When I present, I strive to make my sessions as accessible as possible to model best practices. One tool I highly recommend for live captions is ZipCaptions—it's a game-changer for accessibility!

Creativity Corner

January is International Creativity Month, and to celebrate, my team at Book Creator has designed this activity book focused on creative collaboration—because creativity thrives when diverse perspectives come together.

Ready to explore? Remix your copy here:

Cover of the International Creativity Month Activity Notebook. The background is bright orange, featuring illustrations of creative tools like a laptop, pencil, glue, USB drive, and stars. The title 'International Creativity Month' is written in bold yellow and white text, with colorful accents and a playful design.