Creating An Accessible Online Course: 20 Inclusive Design Tips

Description  Challenge Many online courses erect barriers to students with disabilities, including those that impact sight, hearing, dexterity, learning, social interactions which negatively impacts learning; remediation to make them accessible as individual accommodations is costly to the institution. Key TakeawayAfter engaging in this presentation, participants will be better informed about accommodations and universal design and will gain specific strategies for making an online course accessible.OverviewMany online courses erect barriers to students with disabilities, including those that impact sight, hearing, dexterity, learning, social interactions. There are already hundreds of civil rights complaints about the inaccessibility of online courses which are costly to resolve with the Office of Civil Rights and the Department of Justice. However, there are existing principles, guidelines, resources, and promising practices for making online learning accessible, usable and inclusive of all students.Is your course, or the one you are designing, accessible to all potential students? Does “all” include students with disabilities? If it is not, you are not alone. Most online offerings are not fully inclusive of students with certain types of disabilities, including those that impact sight, hearing, dexterity, learning, social interactions. Learn twenty tips for applying universal design principles to the design of a course to bring it closer to making it accessible to, usable by, and inclusive of all potential students, including those with disabilities. Resources for future studies will also be provided.Objectives Understand the basics of legislation Describe the difference between accommodation and universal design approaches to access. Describe specific tips for making an online course accessible Gain strategies for implementing these tips into your course Identify resources to learn more Who Should Attend Administration Faculty Online Learning Designers Student Services/Affairs, including Disability Services IT technology support Assistive technology specialists Any educator interested in learning more about accessible online learning design