Accessibility

Online learning has allowed many students, who other would not have bee able, to complete a social work degree! Online education must be accessible to all learners. Here are information and tools to help you in making your course accessible to all students regardless of learning style and ability! Please ask your lead instructor about accessibility in your course and any issues that arise with students access to all aspects of the course.

Instructional Accessibility: MSU Denver’s Center for Teaching Learning and Design is working on a website simliar to the tips below that will help faculty create accessible courses! They also offer trainings so be sure to check their website linked under Instructional Accessibility. Topics include:

University of Washington Online Accessibility:  

Suggestions for course web pages, documents, images, and videos:

  1. Use clear, consistent layouts and organization schemes for presenting content.
  2. Structure headings (using style features built into the Learning Management System, Word, PowerPoint (PPT), PDFs, etc.) and use built-in designs/layouts (e.g., for PPT slides).
  3. Use descriptive wording for hyperlink text (e.g., “DO-IT Knowledge Base” rather than “click here”).
  4. Minimize the use of PDFs, especially presented when as an image; make sure the text is accessible by testing to see if you can copy and paste it). Always offer a text based alternative as well.
  5. Provide concise alternative text descriptions of content presented within images.
  6. Use large, bold fonts on uncluttered pages with plain backgrounds.
  7. Use color combinations that are high contrast and can be read by those who are colorblind.
  8. Make sure all content and navigation is accessible using the keyboard alone.
  9. Caption or transcribe video and audio content.

With respect to instructional methods

  1. Assume students have a wide range of technology skills and provide options for gaining the technology skills needed for course participation.
  2. Present content in multiple ways (e.g., in a combination of text, video, audio, and/or image format).
  3. Address a wide range of language skills as you write content (e.g., spell acronyms, define terms, avoid or define jargon).
  4. Make instructions and expectations clear for activities, projects, and assigned reading.
  5. Make examples and assignments relevant to learners with a wide variety of interests and backgrounds.
  6. Offer outlines and other scaffolding tools to help students learn.
  7. Provide adequate opportunities for practice.
  8. Allow adequate time for activities, projects, and tests (e.g., give details of project assignments in the syllabus so that students can start working on them early).
  9. Provide feedback on project parts and offer corrective opportunities.
  10. Provide options for communicating and collaborating that are accessible to individuals with a variety of disabilities.
  11. Provide options for demonstrating learning (e.g., different types of test items, portfolios, presentations, discussions).

For explanations of why these guidelines are important, how to implement them, and how to locate accessibility checkers consult AccessCyberlearning, AccessDL, the Center for Universal Design in Education, and the book Universal Design in Higher Education: From Principles to Practice.