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Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning

Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning

NOTE: For more comprehensive information on the topics presented on this page, refer to the Principles of Online Course Design Workshop, developed by the St. Kate's Academic Technology team. All instructors are strongly encouraged to enroll in the workshop.

Most of us are aware that students with vision and hearing loss require accommodations for accessibility. However, other disabilities, such as cognitive impairments, limited movement, and color blindness, can heavily impact online learning. By making all your materials and activities accessible from the start, you can accommodate these and other disabilities.

One example of accessible design includes providing non-text materials, such as videos, in alternative formats like transcripts or closed captions. Closed captioning not only supports students with hearing disabilities but also those whose native language is not English.  

Another example is providing all text-based readings in a digital format that can be interpreted by assistive technologies, such as a screen reader. Photocopies of text are NOT accessible because they are images, and a screen reader cannot read the text on an image. 

Learn About Accessibility

As an instructor, you must be aware of potential accessibility issues and know how to address them. To learn more about accessibility, please review Learn the 7 Core Accessibility Skills, a fantastic resource from the University of Minnesota. You will learn more about the following accessibility practices:

  1. Alternative Text: Add alternative, or "alt text," to every meaningful image in digital content (including graphs, data images, and tables).

  2. Contrast: Use appropriate color contrast ratios of at least 4.5:1 in compliance with WCAG 2.0 standards.

  3. Headings: Structure your digital content with paragraph styles (Title, Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, etc.)

  4. Links: Write hyperlinks that are concise, descriptive, and meaningful (Learn the 7 Core Accessibility Skills instead of Click Here)

  5. Lists: Present key concepts, sequences, and like items using the built-in numbering or bullet features (do NOT manually type a numbered list)

  6. Tables: Include a header row and/or column and a summary either in a caption or alt text.

  7. Video and Audio: Include both human-edited captions and audio descriptions in videos and transcripts in audio-only recordings

You may also visit the Student Accessibilities and Accommodations Faculty and Staff Resources to help navigate student needs. 

Check Your Content for Accessibility

Use the following resources to learn more about accessibility needs and the tools for checking them. These documents address the most common concerns for accessibility in online classes:

Assistive Technology Available at St. Kate's
Immersive Reader in Canvas

  • Immersive Reader is a learning tool that enhances students' reading experience by improving accessibility and boosting reading comprehension. It offers text-decoding solutions for students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, and it encourages independent reading and helps teachers support students’ unique learning needs. Key features include read text out loud, break words into syllables, and increase spacing between lines and letters. 

Texthelp: The Read&Write and EquatIO Tools

  • The Immersive Reader tool integrated into Canvas will read Canvas pages, but it will not read all Canvas materials (such as quizzes). For this, you will need a more advanced reader tool. St. Kate’s students have free access to Texthelp’s Read&Write and EquatIO (a reader for more math-focused material). These Texthelp tools can be used to read material in Canvas that Immersive Reader cannot.  

  • Please visit the Texthelp website to learn more about their product offerings and functionality. 

Texthelp: The OrbitNote Tool

  • St. Kate's students also have access to Texthelp's OrbitNote. OrbitNote is used to turn a regular PDF into a reader-friendly PDF. This is something you can use as an instructor, too. In fact, whenever possible, provide accessible materials for your students so they do not need to take the steps themselves. 

  • Please visit the ObritNote website to learn more about this tool.

For more information about screen reader tools, contact Student Accessibility and Accommodations.

 

Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework that guides the design of flexible learning environments and materials to accommodate the wide-ranging, individual differences in how learners engage with content, process information, and demonstrate their knowledge. UDL principles are rooted in the understanding that learners are not a monolithic group, and a one-size-fits-all approach to instruction often creates barriers. By proactively offering multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression, UDL aims to ensure that all students, regardless of their abilities, learning styles, or backgrounds, have equitable opportunities to succeed.

Why Use UDL?

Adopting UDL principles helps create a more inclusive classroom from the start. By proactively designing your course to accommodate a wide range of student needs, you can eliminate potential obstacles before they even arise. Giving students options for how they perceive, understand, and express their learning allows them to engage in ways that work best for them, while also encouraging them to develop skills in areas where they might be less comfortable.  

Considerations for UDL

  • Offer Multiple Ways to Access Information: This principle acknowledges that learners process information differently. It's about presenting content in a variety of flexible formats, such as using visuals to complement a lecture.
  • Provide Flexible Ways for Students to Show What They Know: Students vary in their abilities to demonstrate their learning. This principle means offering multiple options for assessments, like giving students the choice between a final exam and a written project. 
  • Vary How Students Engage with Content: Students are motivated by different types of activities. This principle suggests incorporating a mix of learning activities, such as combining group projects with individual assignments, to keep everyone engaged.

It’s important to remember that offering choices doesn’t mean lowering academic standards or changing a course’s core learning outcomes. If a course outcome requires written communication, for instance, students will still need to demonstrate that skill through a writing assignment.

Getting Started with UDL

If you're already teaching a course, take some time to reflect on what's working well and what isn't. Think about your teaching style and your students’ learning preferences. Consider which students thrive in your class and which ones might struggle.

Ask yourself if you can add more flexibility in how you deliver content, how students participate, and how you assess them. For example, you could let students choose from a list of assignment topics or even give them a say in how different assessments will be weighted in their final grade. You could also use a mid-semester evaluation to get feedback from your students. As with any new teaching method, you can reflect on the results and make adjustments for the next semester.

UDL and Accessibility Course Design Resources
Accessible Design Principles
Designing for Screen Reader Accessibility
Did You Know? Tips and Statistics from Student Accessibility and Accommodations

Student Accessibility and Accommodations provides these tips and information for helping students with disabilities succeed. 

Since May 2020, Student Accessibility & Accommodations has seen a 40% increase in their registered students with disabilities.
We have had a surge of students register with our office throughout the pandemic (over 40% increase), and the primary concern has been mental health. Being aware of this fact may help you respond quickly and proactively to changes in student behavior that could be mental health-related. Consider entering a flag in Student Success if you're concerned about a student's possible mental health issues. 

Did you know that the Tutoring & Learning Center converted over 1,000 textbooks for students who use screen readers in the 2020–2021 school year? 
We have a large number of students who use screen readers for their textbooks. The largest percentage of those students are those with Learning Disabilities (not blindness). 

Did you know that the Library can assist you in finding an accessible version of your article, book chapter, or document?
When making photocopies of textbooks (where two pages appear horizontally per Xeroxed page), a screen reader would not pick up the text on those documents.  The Library is always happy to seek out a clean PDF version of resources (an article, or a chapter of a book) that faculty may need for their classes. (Due to copyright law, there is a limit on the number of pages we can provide, but we can generally meet the faculty member's needs). 

If you have questions or comments, feel free to contact Student Accessibility and Accommodations.