Accelerate Accessibility: Build It In, Not Bolt It On
Pre-Conference Workshop Session 1
Brief Abstract
It’s time for accessibility to become the “norm”. This hands-on workshop explores helpful techniques and tools to add to your toolkit for becoming inclusive and compliant. Take a deeper dive into the most important universal design principles that will ultimately benefit all students and avoid potential lawsuits. Be proactive, not reactive!
Presenters



Extended Abstract
How accessible is your online course? What steps can you take to make it more accessible? The question of how to make online/web-based content accessible has emerged as one of the top concerns among online educators and is currently ranked #2 on the ELI (Educause Learning Initiative) list of 2018 Key Issues in Teaching & Learning. Most of the accessibility and universal design principles are simple to understand and implement once the designer is aware of the tools and techniques available to them.
As the amount of offerings moving online continues to grow and various accessibility initiatives restructure to become more stringent, it is crucial that accessibility for all students be a focal point of the course design process. This hands-on workshop will focus on the importance of designing with accessibility in mind. This means being proactive and implementing accessibility measures from the beginning, instead of waiting for that accommodation letter from the Disability Services office and attempting to retrofit your course (often within a short period of time).
During this hand-on workshop, we will take a deeper dive into some of the most important accessibility and universal design guidelines that course instructors and instructional designers need to consider when creating online course content and web pages. These inclusive design practices are crucial for individuals with disabilities, but they also end up enhancing the learning environment for many other students as well. Bonus: They will also help you to avoid becoming vulnerable to potential lawsuits! We will also explore tips and resources for helping you create accessible documents, incorporate closed captioning, transcription, and audio description into your multimedia, as well as a number of accessibility evaluation tools that will assist in making your life easier as you continue on your journey towards designing accessible and inclusive online courses.