NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this bell ringer activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?
SUMMARY
At an Omaha, Nebraska, festival this summer, new work explores the intersection of art, disability and technology, asking questions like "who has a voice?" and "who gets to be heard?" Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown reports on this unusual undertaking for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.
View the transcript of the story.
News alternative: Check out recent segments from the News Hour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- Where was the opera mentioned in this segment performed?
- Who is Brenda Shaughnessy, and how is this opera a reflection of her lived experience?
- How does the opera incorporate the voices of those with non-verbal disabilities?
- What are the two ways Jakob communicates in this video?
- Why is it important to include those with non-verbal disabilities in the creative process, according to Shaughnessy?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
- How does creating an inclusive environment for everyone help make a classroom, team or community stronger?
- This story highlights how technology and AI can give a voice to people with non-verbal disabilities. What are some other ways technology can be used to help people with various disabilities?
Media literacy: What else would you like to learn about how the AI in this video works? What steps could you take to make sure the information you find is trustworthy and reliable?
WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO
Assignment: Look around your school or town to find a specific place that could be improved to better support people with disabilities (for example, building entrances, restrooms, sidewalks, classrooms or bus stops).
Write a short proposal to your school or town administration explaining why this area poses a difficulty for people with disabilities and suggest a solution.
In your proposal, be sure to include:
- A description of the difficulty or barrier you observed (for example, limited access for wheelchair users)
- How this difficulty affects those with disabilities
- Your practical solution to the problem (for example, adding a ramp for wheelchair users)
- 3–4 sentences explaining why accessibility is important
Written by Brooke Ingemi, PBS News Hour Classroom's intern and senior at Amherst College, and News Hour's Luke Gerwe.
Fill out this form to share your thoughts on Classroom’s resources.
