Assistive technologies remain important in supporting student learning in both in-person laboratories and the online laboratory environment. In this article, we describe an adaptation of a smartphone technology called the Color Blind Pal app to aid students in complementing online laboratory assignments in a general chemistry course. The app was integrated into three online laboratory experiments to help students collect data from simulated flame tests, atomic emission spectra, precipitation reactions, and colorimetric titrations. We share how incorporating the app has influenced our perspective on inclusive practices in the online lab curriculum as the app allows both users with color-vision deficiencies or color-blindness to make color observations and for instructors to simulate colorvision deficiencies when designing curricula. Given our use of the app as an assistive technology, we discuss implications for a shift toward universal design for learning (UDL) to proactively design inclusive online laboratory curricula.
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