Accessibility Within Instructional Design

IUP Center for Teaching Excellence

Accessibility

Guide for Creating Accessible and Inclusive Learning Experiences

Background

What do you need to know about accessibility?

1. Providing accessible learning experiences equals teaching excellence.
2. It is the law! ADA Title II- We must ensure communications (transfer of information) with individuals with disabilities are as effective (as timely, as accurate, and appropriate) as communications with others.
3. Communications include: lecture, book, text, media, and Internet resources.

overview

We must provide students the opportunity to

• Acquire the same information
• Engage in the same interactions
• Use the same services

...as students without disabilities

Faculty and Staff Role

Accessible Media

Accessible Media

The first step you can take is to ensure that all media you use in your teaching is accessible.

Documents | Formats, Headers & Styles

Video & Audio | Closed Captions

Social Media & Web Content

Images | Alternative Text

D2L Accessibility

• Accessible media:
• Video and audio-always caption
• ALT Text: decorative vs instructional images-always label
• PDFs and file formats- beware scanned material
• Presentations & slides-Contrast, font, ALT Text, clarity
• Book formats

• Publisher materials and external links

• Accessibility Checker
• D2L feature
• Advanced features coming soon (Yuja)

D2L Accessibility

D2L Organization Tips

• Organized Layout-module structure
• Label external links
• Decoration- "bells and whistles"
• Needed for meeting learning goals?
• Increased barriers?
• Assume learners are unfamilar with D2L
• Link to support
• Grace period; flexibility

universal design for learning

Key Concepts of the UDL Guidelines 3.0

The UDL guidelines can help you plan learning experiences that reduce barriers and ensure accessible learning experiences for all learners.

Representation

Engagement

Action & Expression

Start today!

Update your learning materials

• All audio and video with closed captions
• Create Alternative (ALT) text for all instructional images (especially quizzes!)

• Check course materials: multiple formats, scanned PDF files, Word documents, publisher materials
• Organize your course- is the content clear, readable (color and contrast), perceptible to a wide audience?

Faculty support

CTE-Instructional Design Services

• Stop by our drop in Zoom on Wednesdays 3-5 pm: Zoom link for support:
• Submit an I-help ticket for 1:1 consultation- we can help with accessibility, instructional design, and more for both face-to-face and virtual envrionments.
• For more information, check out the CTE website at the following link:

Engagement

Inclusion- Interests & Identities

Effort & Persistence

Emotional Capacity

• Build learner confidence
• Leverage emotion as motivator
• Use differentiation and scaffolding
• Encourage self reflection on progress

• Clarify goals
• Balance high expectations with support
• Encourage collaboration
• Promote belonging
• Give relevant and timely feedback

• Provide choice and autonomy
• Develop meaningful and valuable learning experiences

• Encourage joy and play
• Create safe places to learn and take risks

Accessible Documents

Ensure all documents (PDFs, text, presentations) are accessible. IUP offers excellent resources for creating accessible materials!

Accessible PDF Documents Microsoft Office Accessibility Flyers and Infographic Accessibility General Tips

Social Media & Web Content Accessibility

If you use social media or publish content to the internet, be sure to publish accessible media. Use the following IUP resource guides to help you.

Accessible Social Media Accessible Web Content

Representation

Perception

Language & Symbols

Building Knowledge

• Offer a variety of accessible media
• Include a range of perspectives, authors, context and examples
• Caution with color, contrast, font

• Multiple ways to demonstrate learning, meet learning objectives
• Leverage prior knowledge to support new learning
• Employ collaborative knowledge building, learning together
• Rich and varied examples, demonstrations, contexts

• Clarify language, symbols, vocabulary
• Help learners decode symbols & representations
• Scaffold mastery for new language, terms, symbols
• Closed captioning, vocabulary guides, sybmol keys

Images & ALT Text

Why include Alternative (ALT) Text?

To provide important details in graphics and images so all users can access the information. ALT text should cleary describe the visuals and the context of the image or graphic.

Images and ALT Text at IUPD2L ALT Text

Action & Expression

Expression & Communication

Strategy Development

Interaction

• Materials in multiple formats (e,g, print book and digital version
• Always create and use accessible materials
• Ensure seamless navigation of physical and virtual spaces.

• Use multiple media (e.g. text, audio, video, illustrations)
• Physical and virtual manipulatives
• Encourgae communication across a wide variety of formats
• Scaffold to build learner fluency in practice and performance

• Set authentic and challenging goals
• Scaffold executive functioning
• Analyze growth over time; seek improvement and then mastery.
• Address and eliminate exclusionary practices

Closed Captions

Best Practices

Include captions on all audio. Ensure correct spelling, information, and timing for effective communication. Include audio transcript as last resort.

Zoom Captioning-record to cloud; share by link. IUP Video and Audio Accessibility Resources