Universal Design for Learning
All students should be able to:
- acquire the same information
- participate in the same activities
- be active contributors, producers, consumers, etc.
Accessibility means providing equally effective and integrated communication, ensuring that everyone can read, navigate, understand, and engage with your materials.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is providing multiple means of representation, action & expression, engagement © 2011 by CAST
Inclusive Design according to Microsoft "enables and draws on the full range of human diversity. Most importantly, this means including and learning from people with a range of perspective."
Course Navigation (including meaningful links) & Multimedia ease of use
- Intro video – yourself and the course; syllabus; schedule
- Consistent, predictable, pattern - learn once and use multiple times
- Clear, non-distracting audio/visuals, chunked content
- Consider problems with order of directions, especially multi-step tasks
- Challenges to overcome such as media player with greyed out buttons – what does that mean?
Readability (layout & text), Accessible Text/Images/Files, Multimedia
- HTML when possible
- Device/browser-based visual adjustments:
- screen zoom to focus/attention or give eyes a break
- reader mode in browsers – allows you to adjust visuals, reduce distractions, read text aloud
- Screen/text readers-friendly
- Sensory issues (bright backgrounds)
- Multimodal options - communicating more equally with others
- Transcripts, captions, audio description
MS Teams: Audio, video, text, images, reactions, auto live captioning, recording with editable auto-captions
Zoom: Audio, video, text, images, reactions, auto live captioning, recording with editable auto-captions
Content & Communication Tips for Learners with Differing Abilities
- Provide well-structured, chronological organization for online course content
- Clearly define course requirements, guidelines, schedule and expectations
- Provide explicit, concrete descriptions, multi-modal on projects and assignments
- Format instructions with short, bulleted/numbered lists and highlight most important info and key words when possible
- Provide examples (concrete for abstract or complex topics), opportunities for practice/reinforcement, low-risk assignments, opportunities to review/reassure
- Communicate reminders of assignments and test dates, give advance notice of any changes and help prepare for any changes
- Explain visual materials verbally
- Provide detailed checklists, outlines or study guides for exam preparation
Feedback & Virtual Meetings Tips for Learners with Differing Abilities
- Give specific and detailed feedback on assignments and assessments, consider modalities (text, image, audio, video) depending on the student
- Allow student to communicate through multiple medias (email, chat, virtual meetings, etc.), provide assignment submission options if applicable
- While allowing options, avoid using too many (new) tools/user interfaces
- Consider how text, subtle gestures, facial and social cues may be interpreted in a virtual environment
- Be tolerant of frequent (virtual) visits, questions, and concerns (alternately, check in with students who haven’t communicated) and remember to give calm responses
- Acknowledge and reinforce acceptable behaviors in the online classroom – don’t take anything personally
- Allow time for responses when calling on a student in virtual meetings
- Allow breaks during longer virtual meetings when necessary due to stimulation, sensory input overload
- Meet one-on-one when needed to discuss learning and behaviors
- Encourage group participation – assist with group placement or assigned groups
Universal Design, Inclusive Design, and Online Accessibility Resources
An Introduction to Accessibility from digital.gov
Principles of Universal Design (Graphic) from the Center for Universal Design at NC State University
UDL Guides from CAST
20 Tips for Teaching an Accessible Online Course by Sheryl Burstahler, Ph.D., DO-IT Center
Guidelines for People Who Do Not Read Easily from User Experience Magazine
Why Designing for Only Some Users "SUX" from Adobe
Inclusive Design from Microsoft
How to Design for Accessibility from BBC
Best Practices for Writing for the Accessible Web from digital.gov (Other Resources from digital.gov)
Effective Teaching: Sensory Learning Styles versus General Memory Processes from Sage Journals in Comprehensive Psychology
Engagement: Universal Design for Learning Principle from Oakland University
A Guide to Disability Rights Laws from ada.gov
ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008: Equivalent communication and access from ada.gov
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its revisions from section508.gov - deals specifically with electronic and information technology
- Section 508 (b): Equivalent alternatives for any multimedia presentation shall be synchronized with the presentation.
Colorado Accessibility Standards from colorado.gov
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 International Standards from the World-Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
- Text alternatives, time-based media, adaptable, distinguishable, keyboard accessible, enough time, seizure/physical reactions, navigable, input modalities, readable, predictable, input assistance, compatible
- WCAG 2.1 1.2: Time-based Media: Provide alternatives for time-based media.