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Learning Accessibility

UDL (Universal Design for Learning)

What is UDL?

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework based on research in the learning sciences, including cognitive neuroscience, that guides the development of flexible learning environments that can accommodate individual learning differences.

(Rose, DH, & Meyer, A (2002) Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning Alexandria, VA: ASCD.)

      Recognizing that the way individuals learn can be unique, the UDL framework, first defined by David H. Rose, Ed.D. of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) in the 1990s (Orkwis, R, & McLane, K (1998). A curriculum every student can use: Design principles for student access. ERIC/OSEP Topical Brief No. ED423654. Reston, VA: ERIC/OSEP Special Project.), calls for creating curriculum from the outset that provides:

 

  • Multiple means of representation to give learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge,

  • Multiple means of expression to provide learners alternatives for demonstrating what they know, and

  • Multiple means of engagement to tap into learners' interests, challenge them appropriately, and motivate them to learn.

(Rose & Meyer, 2002, p. 75; CAST (2008) Universal design for learning guidelines 1.0. Wakefield, MA: CAST. Retrieved July 1, 2008, from "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-05-18. Retrieved 2008-07-02.)

     

     Curriculum, as defined in the UDL literature, has four parts: instructional goals, methods, materials, and assessments (Rose & Meyer, 2002).UDL is intended to increase access to learning by reducing physical, cognitive, intellectual, and organizational barriers to learning, as well as other obstacles. UDL principles also lend themselves to implementing inclusionary practices in the classroom.

Picture:

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(Reference:https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2018/02/07/universal-design-learning-arrives-campus-concerted-grassroots)

Video:

Laws for Learning Accessibility:

  • Section 508

Section 508 is a federal law that requires agencies to provide individuals with disabilities equal access to electronic information and data comparable to those who do not have disabilities

 

  • ADA

The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that U.S. programs and services be accessible to individuals with disabilities. A 1996 Department of Justice ruling makes it clear that ADA accessibility requirements apply to Internet resources. Websites that contain information used in instruction must be accessible to all students in the class. This includes information posted on Blackboard and internet/intranet web pages.

 

All students should have the opportunity to join class-related experiences including interactive electronic experiences such as chat rooms.

 

Accessibility must be considered when purchasing and licensing software, videos, and related media.

 

Each person posting a university or instructional website, as well as information on the Learning Management System, is responsible for ensuring that it is designed to be accessible. Departments within divisions have the responsibility to monitor continued accessibility compliance of its web pages.

 

  • FERPA

FERPA is a Federal law designed to protect the privacy of a student’s education records.

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a classification system used to define and distinguish different levels of human cognition (i,e: thinking, learning, and understanding).

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3 Domains of Learning

  • Cognitive: mental skills (knowledge)

  • Affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas (attitude or self)

  • Psychomotor: manual or physical skills (skills)

Create More Accessible Documents

Use the documents below to test your own documents' accessibility, follow the checklists to create more accessible documents. 

Click on the link below to download the documents.

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MS Word 2013 Accessibility Printable Checklist

MS Excel Accessibility Printable Checklist

MS Powerpoint Accessibility Printable Checklist

PDF Accessibility Printalbe Checklist

Make Your Document More Accessible

Word 2016

Accessibility Checker

I would suggest before you editing a word document, turn on Word Accessibility Checker function.

Step 1: Click on File in Toolbar.

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Step 2: Click on info

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Step 3: Unfold Check for Issues on the left side of Inspect Document.

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Step 4: Click on Check Accessibility. Then it will take you back to your document, you will see there is a Accessibility Checker panel on the right side of your document.

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Now you can work on your document, every time if there is any accessibility issues with your document, it will be shown in the panel. You can fix it following the instruction below the panel.

Add Alt Text for Images:

Never forget to add alt text to your images in your document.

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E.g.:

I add a picture in my document, you can see there is an error appear in Accessibility Checker:

Missing Alt Text

Picture 1

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How to fix this?

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Step 1: Right click on the picture, click on Picture... in the list.

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Step 2: Choose Alt Text on the top bar. Then fill in the blank space with the alt text of your picture. For example, here I fill out: bamboo. Then click on Ok.

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Then, back to the Accessibility Checker, You will see the issue for Alt Text disappeared.

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Change Font Style:

Keep in mind: every time you want to change font style or heading style or paragraph, always go to the Style area instead of going to Font area.

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Step 1: Right click on the type you want to change in Style. Choose Modify.

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Step 2: Change the style you want here, for paragraph and lists, change in Format.

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Adobe PDF

Keep in mind, every time after you produce a pdf. file, open it in Adobe Acrobat/Reader, then you are able to change the download name of the pdf., to be more professional, even just for more convenience, you don’t want to download any document which has name like *^@#% or wehowngwotjwotjw, yeah?

Step 1: Click on File on the top of toolbar.

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Step 2: Choose Properties.

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Step 3: In Description, fill out the blank space behind Title with your ideal name for the pdf file.

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Top 9 Tips For Creating Accessible eLearning

  1. Complex interactions should be avoided where possible as they require the user to heavily engage with the course visually

  2. Think about color contrasts for users that are color-blind or have difficulty determining colors.

  3. Make sure font sizes are large enough for those with the poorer vision to see.

  4. Create ALT tags to describe each image or diagram.

  5. Use of audio requires captioning or transcription, likewise video.

  6. Avoid drop-down menus as screen readers will interpret them as one object.

  7. Make sure information is available through the keyboard. Functions requiring the use of the mouse create barriers to accessibility.

  8. Use HTML heading tags as screen readers can identify them and use them as navigational aids.

  9. Make sure that navigation is clear - avoid using ‘click here’ for hyperlink text, be more descriptive and provide as much detail as possible.

(Reference: Top 10 Tips For Creating Accessible eLearning)

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