Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Definition of Accessibility
“Accessible” means a person with a disability is afforded the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability, in an equally effective and equally integrated manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use. The person with a disability must be able to obtain the information as fully, equally and independently as a person without a disability. Although this might not result in identical ease of use compared to that of persons without disabilities, it still must ensure equal opportunity to the educational benefits and opportunities afforded by the technology and equal treatment in the use of such technology. (Office of Civil Rights in the Resolution agreement with South Carolina Technical College System, 2/18/13)
Definition of UDL
Universal design differs from accessibility requirements in that accessibility requirements are usually prescriptive, whereas universal design is performance based. Universal design does not have standards or requirements, but addresses usability issues. The UDL Guidelines, updated in June 2018, by the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) Organization provide guidelines for designers.
Designing for a broad range of users from the beginning of the process can increase usability of an environment or product without significantly increasing its cost. It results in easier use for everyone and it reduces the need for design modifications later, when abilities or circumstances change.
UDL Builds on These Principles While Seeking to Provide:
- Multiple means of representation—to give learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge.
- Multiple means of action and expression—to provide learners alternatives for demonstrating what they know.
- Multiple means of engagement—to increase motivation by giving learners choices on how they want to engage in their learning.
Tools for Students
Read & Write -
Central Community College offers the use of Read&Write software to all students free of charge. This literacy software makes books, web files and other works more accessible through a variety of on-screen aides.
Each student learns differently and Read&Write is a great learning tool for anyone who may want help with their schoolwork. Thousands of students in higher education rely on Read&Write to help with reading and writing assignments, online research and even studying. Read&Write can assist any student with proofreading, researching and can even read tests aloud.
A Few Key Features & Benefits:
Hear web pages and documents read aloud to improve reading comprehension, with choice of natural voices
Understand unfamiliar words with text and picture dictionaries
Develop writing skills with word prediction
Support independent student research with valuable study skills tools
Improves confidence and understanding levels for struggling readers
Help students and employees with dyslexia and other literacy challenges
Assist English Language Learners with their studying needs and English language acquisition.
Supports independent learning and understanding
Where to go for help:
Issues with downloading: contact the CCC service desk 308-398-7999
Issues using the tool once downloaded: Tutorial Videos, Academic Success Center, Learning Center Staff
Add link for reference card: see attachment
Pentium IV 1.8GHz processor (2.4GHz recommended)
Windows XP SP3 or above
512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended)
2 GB free disk space
Speakers, Sound Card, Microphone (for speech input) Windows Installer
Mac
Intel Core 2 Duo1.83 GHz processorMac OS 10.7 or above4 GB RAM (Recommended 4 GB RAM or greater)4 GB of free disk spaceSpeakers and Sound CardInternet connection for certain features & activation Mac Installer
Windows 10 Accessibility
Mac Accessibility
iOS Accessibility
Android Accessibility
Chromebook Accessibility
How to Use Read & Write Gold
Tools for Faculty/Staff
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CCC Accessibility Supports
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Anatomy of an Accessible Page
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Word
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PowerPoint
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Images
- Images
- Color Contrast Analyzer (Chrome Extension)
- Complex Images
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Videos
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PDF
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Cheatsheets
Read & Write -
Central Community College offers the use of Read&Write software to all students free of charge. This literacy software makes books, web files and other works more accessible through a variety of on-screen aides.
Each student learns differently and Read&Write is a great learning tool for anyone who may want help with their schoolwork. Thousands of students in higher education rely on Read&Write to help with reading and writing assignments, online research and even studying. Read&Write can assist any student with proofreading, researching and can even read tests aloud.
A Few Key Features & Benefits:
Hear web pages and documents read aloud to improve reading comprehension, with choice of natural voices
Understand unfamiliar words with text and picture dictionaries
Develop writing skills with word prediction
Support independent student research with valuable study skills tools
Improves confidence and understanding levels for struggling readers
Help students and employees with dyslexia and other literacy challenges
Assist English Language Learners with their studying needs and English language acquisition.
Supports independent learning and understanding
Where to go for help:
Issues with downloading: contact the CCC service desk 308-398-7999
Issues using the tool once downloaded: Tutorial Videos, Academic Success Center, Learning Center Staff
Add link for reference card: see attachment
Pentium IV 1.8GHz processor (2.4GHz recommended)
Windows XP SP3 or above
512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended)
2 GB free disk space
Speakers, Sound Card, Microphone (for speech input) Windows Installer
Mac
Intel Core 2 Duo1.83 GHz processorMac OS 10.7 or above4 GB RAM (Recommended 4 GB RAM or greater)4 GB of free disk spaceSpeakers and Sound CardInternet connection for certain features & activation Mac Installer
Read & Write Quick Start Guide
Windows 10 Accessibility
Mac Accessibility
iOS Accessibility
Android Accessibility
Chromebook Accessibility
Universal design is not a synonym or a euphemism for accessibility standards. Universal design can be distinguished from meeting accessibility standards in the way that the accessible features have been integrated into the overall design. This integration is important because it results in better design and avoids the stigmatizing quality of accessible features that have been added on late in the design process or after it is complete, as a modification.
Universal design also differs from accessibility requirements in that accessibility requirements are usually prescriptive whereas universal design is performance based. Universal design does not have standards or requirements but addresses usability issues. The Principles of Universal Design, published in 1997 by the Center for Excellence in Universal Design, articulate the breadth of the concept and provide guidelines for designers.
Accessibility Guidelines for Online Course Content
These guidelines are based on internationally accepted, web accessibility guidelines WCAG 2.0 AA. Follow these guidelines or the step-by-step document-specific instructions to keep your course content accessible.
- Use properly formatted headings to structure the page.
- Format lists as lists.
- Write meaningful link text.
- Create tables with column and/or row headers
- Maintain a proper reading order in documents, web pages and slides.
- Use sufficient color contrast.
- Don’t use color alone to convey meaning.
- Ensure that any action that uses a mouse, can also be completed by keyboard alone.
- Provide alternative text descriptions for images.
- Design clear and consistent navigation.
- Eliminate or limit blinking / flashing content to 3 seconds.
- Don’t require inaccessible applications be used.
- Optional materials must include a balance of accessible options.
- Write math and science equations accessibly.
- Include the Accommodations Statement in your syllabus and link to accessibility or assistive technology user information for software or web applications that are required in the course.
From <https://www.pcc.edu/instructional-support/accessibility/onlinecourseaccessibility/>
- Legal Obligations for Accessibility
- Letter & follow up Q & A’s sent to every college president by Departments of Justice & Education, Civil Rights Division:
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, subpart E: Post Secondary
- Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Self-Audit: UDL Checklist
If course materials are accessible is there still a need for disability services?
It is not the goal of accessibility to accommodate all disabilities. It is like building a ramp in addition to steps. The ramp does accommodate all disabilities, but it creates additional access points. What the federal regulations and court decisions have said is that the web accessibility guidelines called WCAG 2.0 AA is the standard that we need to abide by. The proposed Universal Design Standards are based upon the WCAG 2.0 AA standards. There will always be the need for our Disability Services to accommodate disabilities as they arise on a case-by-case basis as required under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
What disabilities do Universal Design/Accessibility Standards address?
The Universal Design/Accessibility Standards do not address or target any one disability. Universal design of learning is a way of viewing curriculum from the perspective of those with varying degrees of ability in both physical and mental capacities as well as degrees of social capacity that could be effected by such things as systemic discrimination and traumatic events.
Universal Design and accessibility never set as its goal to address all disabilities or situations. Every student is an individual and even those that have similar diagnoses will present in unique ways. If an otherwise qualified student has a disability, it is imperative to work collaboratively with Disability Services so as to ensure compliance with Federal law and to ensure the best services are arranged for the student's success.
What is the basis for the proposed Universal Design/Accessibility Standards?
The proposed Universal Design standards have been based upon WCAG 2.0 AA which the Federal government and the courts have recognized as the accessibility standard to adhere to. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) has been developed with the goal of creating a single standard for all web content that can meet the needs of both organizations and governments internationally.
Who can I contact for help with accessibility?
For questions on policy and procedure and overall implementation, please direct questions to Lauren Slaughter, Compliance & Equity Manager and Lenette Sprunk, Universal Design Director.
For questions of curriculum and technology, please refer to the Faculty Resource Center and Learning Support Services.
For questions on website content, please see the Public Relations & Marketing office.
There will be coordinator trainings and workshops offered throughout the year for both faculty and staff.
When will it be required to have videos closed captioned?
Central Community College is currently researching for a viable college-wide solution for closed captioning. Until such solution is found, there will not be a requirement that videos be closed captioned.
If you are wanting to voluntarily caption your videos to better serve your students, please work with Learning Support Services in your video development.
If a student with a disability is unemployable in our given field, do we still need to adhere to accessibility standards?
Yes, the standards that we are to adhere to come as expectations from the Federal government and the courts regardless of the particular field of study. Accessibility is about creating multiple avenues of access to information and learning materials.
Technology is changing at a rapid pace, creating more and more opportunities for those of varying abilities to participate in a meaningful way in society. In just a couple of years, a student may be able to fulfil the essential functions of a job, with the help of technological innovations, that was previously unavailable to them. Some students may use a degree or certificate earned with us in creative ways to support a different career path than we had imagined. Some students may be taking a course from us for the joy of learning and enriching their lives as a citizen with no intentions of entering the career field of the particular class.
Our responsibility as a public community college is to provide open and equal access to education regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other unique human qualifier that they may identify or present as.