Through my ARP I have identified several barriers that I had not considered before. I knew the machines were a problem, but the space and consideration of open days are of such great importance. The next spiral of my research is how easy is it to remove those barriers that are within our control? If we can do this before students have enrolled, this will give the students a much more positive experience.
I have finally heard back from the disability advisor for performance. They will have availability after the Christmas break to be interviewed. I have been able to identify barriers within the rooms in terms of equipment and furniture but it would be great to talk to the expert in identifying barriers to see if there are more things that I had not considered. I also want to discuss the importance of open days from their perspective. Especially as it is advised for students to do contact the disability team during this stage.
While I wait for this interview too take place, I have been researching a company that has created industrial sewing machine adaptations and plan to create and implement this adaptation if possible.
References
Masters, S. (2023) Action research second spiral.