From the August/September 2021 issue of Equity & Access Pre K-12
Melvin Hines is the CEO of Upswing, which helps support non-traditional and at-risk students. He is also a freelancer for Black Ambition and board member of Nourish International. He is passionate about trying to level the playing field for all people regardless of how similar or dissimilar they may be from the creators of technology.
“Growing up in South Georgia, my high school had students from a myriad of backgrounds, disabilities, and family structures. What we all had in common was that in many ways we had all been written off because of our circumstances. Equity is about more than writing wrongs. It is about changing the structures that perpetuate those wrongs.”
Melvin pushes his employees to empathize with their users. He incorporates institutions into the product development cycle that show the limitations in the types of accommodations that many underfunded institutions offer.
He believes the accessibility equity gap perpetuates the gap in educational attainment and opportunity for minorities and low income students. And in order to close this gap, we must make accessibility a part of the conversation.
Connect with Melvin Hines:
Linkedin: @mhinesjr
Do you know someone who deserves to be recognized as a Champion of Equity on this website and in the Equity & Access journal? Of course you do.
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The American Consortium for Equity in Education, publisher of the "Equity & Access" journal, celebrates and connects the educators, associations, community partners and industry leaders who are working to solve problems and create a more equitable environment for historically underserved pre K-12 students throughout the United States.
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
