Inclusive Design for Student Parents

Student parents may not have the schedule flexibility or the time that is necessary to attend student-led events. The availability of student parents will be prioritized for the caring of their child/children and the duties of parenthood. Therefore, student parents are likely to see time conflicts despite wanting to attend events. To be more inclusive of student parents the use of remote accessible technology should be prioritized.

Inclusionary measures to help foster a greater sense of belonging for commuter students may include:

• Hybrid events that allow for remote access that do not require parent students to be on campus to attend.
• Using equipment such as cameras and microphones to record events allows for asynchronous access when a student parent has time to watch the event.
• Upload event recordings to streaming platforms such as YouTube with accurate captions and/or transcripts.
• Make event materials such as agenda, presentation slides, and other resources mentioned available after the event.
• Making considerations regarding the time of the event.
• Keep in mind common daycare, pre-k, and K-12 schedules as well as public transportation schedules.
• Sticking to the schedule of the event.

Additional Resources available through OID for Student Parents:

• List of Nearby Childcare Facilities
• Financial assistance and subsidized childcare for Seattle student parents
• How to make an event “child friendly”
• Child-friendly activities for events