Dr. Rheanna Plemons, Associate Registrar Western Kentucky University Publications for All Dr. Rheanna Plemons, Associate Registrar Western Kentucky University

Disabilities in Post-Secondary Education Undergraduate students in the United States with documented disabilities: 1999 6% 2000 9% 2012 11% Autism Hearing Impairment Cognitive/Intellectual Disability Vision Impairment ADHD Mental Illness Health Impairment Traumatic Brain Injury Learning Disability Mobility Limitation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKVogLEB2_Y 5:56 start

Accommodation Problems Student disability offices provide educational support, if the student surfaces. Extra time on tests Interpreters Scribes Mobility Assistance Specialty programs provide more detailed assistance (i.e., Autism and Down syndrome programs). Registration Schedule Building Reminders about important dates ADA compliance programs check websites. What about academic affairs and enrollment management offices?

Sen. Tom Harkins (D – Iowa) “If the U.S. is to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020—as President Barack Obama has proposed—students with disabilities must be part of the plan.” 80% of high school students with disabilities lists higher education as a goal 60% actually enroll in higher education 41% complete college

“Sometimes it’s the informal accommodations…that are more helpful to students than the formal ones.” Dr. Laysha Ostrow John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Student Self-Service Programs What important information do you advertise in your office? Schedules Advising Tools Forms Applications for Graduation Catalog/Bulletin

Publication

Professional vs. Accessible Publications Professional publications are… Easy to read and understand. Simple, clear, and direct. Include relevant graphics. Accessible publications are… Understood by the widest possible audience. Non-discriminatory. Easily converted to alternate formats. Oregon Health & Science University. (2010). How you say it matters: Creating professional and accessible publications. http://www.oidd.org.

Paper Use thick paper. Thin causes text to mix. Choose cream or lightly colored paper instead of white. Matte paper is preferred over glossy paper (brochures, postcards, etc.).

Colors Avoid using red/green or bright blues to make points. Use symbols in conjunction with colors. X – Incomplete √ - Complete Foreground and Background must contrast. Avoid using a dark background with light text. People with astigmatism (approx. 50% of the population) find it harder to read white text on a black background. ~Jason Harrison, University of British Columbia

Fonts Rounded letters with adequate spacing (letters should not run together) This is an example of letters running together. 12pt or 14pt minimum Avoid using all caps. Use sans serif fonts: Arial, Comic Sans, Calibri, Verdana, Tahoma, or Trebuchet Italics makes letters lean together. Underlining causes parts of letters disappear.

Spacing Wide margins and headings Add space between lines (1.5 preferred) Avoid using hyphens to separate words not typically separated This automatically happens in some publication software packages (Publisher, etc.). Left Margins (block style text)

Writing Style Be concise. Use simplistic sentences. Limit lines to 60-70 characters. Use bullets or numbers instead of prose. Consider flowcharts to explain a process. Use boxes to emphasize or highlight text.

Watch your language. Use person first language to put the person before the disability Ex. Say “person with a disability” instead of “disabled person.” Avoid slang or regional references.

Disability Statements Include on all University publications (i.e., announcements, brochures, flyers, syllabi, bulletins/catalogs). Example: This document is available in alternative formats upon request by contacting (Office Name) at (phone number). Include TDD number, if available.

Alternative Formats Large print version Screen-reader friendly version No columns High quality graphics 18 point font minimum Screen-reader friendly version Remove text boxes, tables, graphics, etc. and put information in the body of the text. Test in Adobe (Read Out Loud) Braille Read documents to students Explain process/form in more detail

Additional Help Microsoft Word Accessibility Checker ADA Compliance Website Scans Colorblind Scans (http://colorfilter.wickline.org/) AccessCollege: Student Services (http://www.washington.edu/doit/accessi ble-student-services-comprehensive- presentation) Form a focus group Student Disability Services