Lesson of the Day: ‘At-Home Coronavirus Tests Are Inaccessible to Blind People’

Lesson Overview

Featured Article: “At-Home Coronavirus Tests Are Inaccessible to Blind People” by Amanda Morris

At-home coronavirus tests have become a way for people to quickly know their Covid status before socializing or going to school or work. However, these tests rely on conducting complex steps and interpreting visual cues that often make them inaccessible to people who have limited vision or are blind.

In this lesson, you will learn about some low- and high-tech developments that could make at-home Covid testing more accessible. Then, you will reflect on other ways to make testing for the coronavirus more accessible for all people.

Warm-Up

Have you ever taken an at-home Covid test? Have you been tested at school or at a health care facility? What experience do you have with coronavirus testing?

Consider the role that vision — the ability to see — plays in being able to safely and accurately test for Covid-19 during the pandemic. How is sight important or necessary as part of the testing process?

Questions for Writing and Discussion

Read the article, then answer the following questions:

1. What are some of the obstacles that have prevented Christy Smith from ever being tested for the coronavirus?

2. What are low- and high-tech workarounds that might help people who are blind or who have limited vision get tested for the coronavirus? Discuss at least three ideas mentioned in the article.

3. For each workaround, describe a possible challenge to putting it in effect.

4. How does testing inaccessibility affect the quality of life for people who cannot go out for a Covid test or cannot use one at home?

5. Of all of the testing options and adjustments suggested in the article, which do you think sounds the most compelling? Why?

Going Further

What is your reaction to the featured article? Are you surprised by the issues raised in the article? Do you feel hopeful about any of the solutions explored? Why or why not?

Can you think of any additional ideas that might be able to make testing more accessible for people who have limited vision or are blind?

Then consider the ways that testing for the coronavirus can be challenging or inaccessible for different people, whether they have a disability of not. You can consider a range of issues, including transportation, affordability, language and availability. Brainstorm some possible solutions that might make testing more accessible.

Additional Teaching and Learning Opportunities

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