Before we dive into the discussions of how you'll make your course accessible to students, it's important to note there are rare instances when certain media or technology are not accessible. When designing your course, the best option is to keep inherently inaccessible material to a minimum, but sometimes, the best way to serve all of our students is to offer choices or accommodations. Here is a brief overview of some options you will need to know about.
One common accommodation is giving students more time. Students who experience reading or attention issues, for instance, may require more time to complete a quiz. Students using assistive technology may need more time, as well. In many cases, students will provide you with a notice from the disability office that outlines the student's eligibility for accommodations. In these cases, you must comply with the request, and you are not allowed to ask the student why they need more time.
Canvas will allow you to individually adjust due dates on assignments and quizzes, and to adjust the amount of time each student is allowed on a particular quiz.
Sometimes students need more chances. While you may have a clear policy that a quiz can only be taken one time, students with differing abilities may encounter technological challenges that other students simply don't face. There may be times when extra chances will make a huge difference for a specific student.
There are also times when the technology you want to use is simply not yet accessible. In these cases, if the majority of your students would benefit from the activity, an equivalent option can be offered. While you may choose to offer this equivalent only to one or two students, think about creating options that would allow students to pick an activity or assignment that best supports their learning needs. As long as all of the choices are equivalent, everyone wins.
If you believe a resource, activity, or assessment in your course is inherently inaccessible, you should complete an inherently inaccessible report and bring it to your DSPS office. The professionals in this office may provide insight into options you did not know existed, and, if these options don't exist, they can help you determine an equitable alternative. To assist in creating this document, @ONE and OEI have developed an Instructional Material Inventory templateLinks to an external site. that is creative commons licensed so you can download and use or modify as needed.
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Assistive Technology and Alternative Media What resources are available to faculty?
