Curricular Access
Disability Studies defines disability, not as an attribute of an individual, but rather as the disadvantage or restriction of activity caused by a social organization which takes no or little account of people who have impairments. From this perspective, designing accessible learning environments necessary for the full participation of students with disabilities is a matter of social responsibility. When considering curricular environments, this concept promises exciting opportunities to create inclusive learning experiences.
Universal Design in Learning (UDL), also known as human-centered design, is a conceptual framework that can be used to operationalize this philosophy. Using UDL principles, instructors can design courses that are accessible and inclusive of a diverse student body. Below are barriers that are common in the learning environment and the potential impact of those barriers. Additionally, you will find inclusive design ideas that will increase access. Please note that inclusive design may not completely eliminate the need for individual accommodations, but it has the potential to greatly reduce the number of accommodations requested.
Below is a list of common learning barriers and suggestions for removal through inclusive curricular design.
Timed Exams
Impact of Timed Exams
- Students must arrange individual accommodations each semester.
- Faculty may need to send students to another location for testing and remember to send exam and instructions for proctoring each exam.
- Students may not have access to faculty during exams if they have questions.
Inclusive Design Suggestions
- Plan shorter, more frequent assessments.
- Allow students who are not finished at the end of class to finish in the department conference room.
- Give online assessments allowing everyone additional time for completion.
- Consider giving take-home exams.
Impact of Inclusive Design
- Students’ knowledge, rather than the speed with which answers are provided, is the essential element being evaluated.
- Students are not separated from their peers during testing and have equal access to the professor.
- Students may not need to make separate testing arrangements each semester.
Inaccessible Course Materials (e.g., PDF's, textbooks, videos, PowerPoints, etc.)
Impact of Inaccessible Course Materials
- Students may fall behind while waiting for documents to be converted to an accessible format or videos to be captioned.
- Faculty may need to work with DRS and other resources to obtain accessible materials.
- Faculty may need to extend deadlines or offer incompletes to accommodate students who have fallen behind due to inaccessible course materials.
Inclusive Design Suggestions
- Visit Creating Accessible Content to ensure that PDF’s, Word documents and PowerPoint Presentations are designed in an accessible format.
- Utilize SensusAccess to convert existing inaccessible documents to an accessible format.
- Choose textbooks from publishers who offer both print and e-books.
- Choose captioned videos or use Canvas Studio to create captioned videos.
Impact of Inclusive Design
- If a document is designed to be accessible, it does not have to be re-designed each semester, even if minor changes to dates, assignments, etc. need to be made.
- Students can view videos with the class without the need for separate accommodation.
- Other students in the classroom may find captions to be helpful, as well.
Writing Lecture Notes
Impact of Writing Lecture Notes
- Faculty may need to assist with finding volunteers to take course notes for students with disabilities.
- Students may fall behind while waiting for a note taker to be identified and for the note taker to provide copies of notes.
Inclusive Design Suggestions
- Encourage students to share notes and form study groups.
- Use online discussions.
- Record lectures and post podcasts online.
- Make PowerPoints available to all students.
Impact of Inclusive Design
- All of students have access to additional materials to enhance learning and studying.