Accessibility

Ensuring that all students have equal access to course content is the responsibility of all Cañada College administrators, faculty, and staff. Thinking through accessibility requirements, and the steps it takes to make your content accessible may largely influence the selection of your course materials. There are many things you can do as a part of a well-designed course to make your classroom, course materials, and teaching more accessible, which in the end benefits all students.

There are two key reasons to make your course materials accessible:

It will help all students in your course be successful. No student should have to overcome obstacles that their peers do not in order to enjoy the same educational experience.
It is the law.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Accessibility means more than just providing accommodations for those with a registered disability, however. To create a fully accessible, and therefore inclusive learning environment, instructors must remove barriers to educational materials by incorporating the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

The UDL Framework encourages educators to:

Provide Multiple Means of Engagement (the Why of Learning)
Provide Multiple Means of Representation (the What of Learning)
Provide Multiple Means of Action & Expression (the How of Learning)

To help explain what all this means, imagine for a moment that you are a City Planner mapping out a brand new landscape design. You already know that building accessibility into the design must take place upfront. Retrofitting a space to meet the needs of all visitors wouldn't make sense, and you would not want to send the message that meeting the needs of all visitors wasn't a top priority in your planning.

City Planners remove barriers for people by including items like ramps and stairs in their design. Initially, ramps were added to cities and towns to provide accessibility for those using wheelchairs. Ramps, however, also turned out to be beneficial to those pushing a stroller, riding a bike, or pulling a suitcase. Excellent design in the development of cities stems from thoughtful planning, and the same can be said of inclusive, engaging academic courses. As educators, we have the opportunity to remove barriers for all learners by implementing the principles of Universal Design for Learning, or UDL.

In so doing, instructors recognize that not all students learn in the same way and that traditional instruction tends to be narrow in terms of flexibility in methods and materials. Increasing options and flexibility in how students acquire information, express themselves, and engage in learning means more students are able to experience optimal learning conditions, for the benefit of all.

To learn more about about the UDL Framework please enjoy the following short video (4:36) and check out the additional reading materials on this page.

Prefer to read than watch? Check out the video transcript.

Additional Reading Materials

The UDL Guidelines (CAST)
Foundational Research on UDL (CAST)
UDL Examples in Higher Education (CAST)
UDL and the Learning Brain (CAST)
Implementing Universal Design for Learning on Canvas (Canvas Community)
Get More Traction for Your Awesome Universal Design for Learning Program, Part I (Educause)

Works Cited

DePaul, K. "The Importance of Universal Design for Learning." Educause. 5 October 2016. Accessed 21 January 2022.

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