Accessibility Information for College Instructors

Introduction

Whether you teach online or in a traditional college classroom, chances are high that you will encounter students with disabilities who require accommodations. What are your responsibilities in providing the accommodations? How do you facilitate them? Here you will find information about the ethical and legal implications for college instructors, and also practical tips for a proactive approach to preparing and delivering course curriculum, information, and materials in the Youtube era.

Universal Design and a Proactive Approach

The principle concepts of universal design were first developed in the fields of architechture and engineering. The idea is to build a world that is people-friendly, a world that is usable by all, regardless of ability. We can all probably think of times when Universal Design has benefitted us, even if we do not have an identified disability. Automatic doors, elevators, and closed captioning on television programs are all examples of universal design in our daily lives.

As applied to education, universal design is a way of considering how to create learning environments that benefit all students. All students in a class are not the same. As individuals, we learn and excel and struggle in similar but different ways. Some students like printed materials, some want audio-visual. If multiple modes are made available, all learners will benefit, not just those who need special accommodations or have been specifically identified as disabled.

Checklists: Creating Accessible Course Materials

Although creating accessible electronic materials for a course can seem like a daunting task, there are actually some simple steps you can take that go a long way towards creating an accessible course. Use this checklist to evaluate the materials in your course.

Checklist 1: Accessible Video and Audio Media

• Select captioned media whenever possible or provide an equivalent transcript
• Captioning/Transcription services:
  • Contact Disability Services Office, 212 Ceres Hall, (701) 231-8436 or ND Relay (800) 366-6888
  • http://www.ndsu.edu/counseling/disability.shtml
  • CaptionSync™ http://www.automaticsync.com/caption/index.htm

Checklist 2: Accessible Blackboard Course Shell

• Find technical information and "How-To" guides for Blackboard on the Distance and Continuing Education website: http://www.ndsu.edu/dce/facultyresources/blackboard.jsp
• Navigation Bar
  • Modify course shell navigation to match course syllabus and structure
  • Choose high contrast colors for navigation bar choices
  • A light color of text with a very dark background or very dark text with a very light background
  • Avoid red with blue or green, avoid pink with green
• Adding Content to a Course Shell
  • Include an accommodation statement in the course syllabus
  • Whenever possible, provide accessible documents and files
  • Include "alt" tags on all images or graphic information
  • Customize exams or quizzes to accommodate student needs for time or format

Checklist 3: Accessible Microsoft Word Documents

• Use "Styles" instead of character formatting to customize text and layouts
• Design tables with readability in mind
  • Read table rows aloud to gauge the accessibility of the structure
  • Remove redundant nesting or column headings
• Include "alt" tags on all images or graphic information

Checklist 4: Accessible PowerPoint

• Use the "Normal" view to design slides and use the "Outline" tab to verify that content is contained in the outline
• Choose appropriate screen fonts and high contrast color schemes
• Publish files in the Rich Text File (.rtf) format as an alternative format when needed
• Include "alt" tags on all images or graphic information
• Use the "Notes" pane to provide thorough text descriptions of complex graphics

Checklist 5: Accessible Adobe PDF Documents

Guide for creating accessible PDF's can be found online at:
http://www.adobe.com/accessibility/products/acrobat/pdf/A9-accessible-pdf-from-word.pdf

Accessibilility QuickGuides

• Customizing the Navigation Bar in a Blackboard Course Shell
• Creating an Accessible Microsoft Word 2007 Document
• Creating an Accessible Alternative to PowerPoint - Coming Soon!
• Creating an Accessible Adobe PDF Document
• Graphic Design Considerations for Course Websites