Online Education and Accessibility for Students with Disabilities Laurie Vasquez Assistive Technology Specialist in DSPS and the Faculty Resource Center, VP of Academic Senate, SBCC And Jayme Johnson Director of Accessibility, Online Education Initiative

A little background… 1996 DE Courses became eligible for apportionment; OCR launches system-wide compliance review for accessibility 1999 CVC’s begin 1999 Conversation on Accessibility begins with HTCTU; DE Access Guidelines created 2011 Latest DE Access Guidelines released 2013/14 Online Education Initiative begins…

The Plan Accessibility and the Online Context Practical Guidance Considerations for Faculty and Institutions What We Know What We Must Remember Captioning & Risk Management Tools & Resources

Accessibility and the Online Context Legally required elements Logistics restrain and complicate accommodations Emphasis on advance preparation and planning, retrofit, redesign, and universal design.

Practical Guidance Online Accessibility is bigger than course design. Have institutional plans that are connected and work towards legal compliance Training must be systematic and ever-present Collaboration and cooperation is the key for establishing effective and sustainable solutions.

Essential Considerations Regular & Effective Contact (Communication) Equivalent ease of use Academic integrity Realistic sustainability Effective relationships and communication

What We Know We need to have a plan of action Faculty need to be systematically trained Collaboration and cooperation is key to success Regular effective contact and methods of instruction are key areas for review Accessibility field is realigning with @ONE and OEI, but there are still more heads to the hydra than there are resources.

What is Accessibility? “Accessible means that individuals with disabilities are able to: Independently acquire the same information Engage in the same interactions And enjoy the same services within the same timeframe as individuals without disabilities with substantially equivalent ease of use.” ~ Paul Grossman, retired Chief Regional Attorney for the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights

What We Must Remember The Plan needs to emphasize student outcomes above all else. DSPS and student services staff also need to be trained. Curriculum design and review processes need to reinforce accessibility and emphasize constant refinement and improvement. Curricunet “meta” version – facilitates the conversation between faculty and access. If it's not accessible, it's not effective.

Just-in-time? “…you don’t have to just caption those videos for the heck of it. Because you know who’s in the class, you can do it on a just-in-time basis.” ~ Paul Grossman, retired Chief Regional Attorney for the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights

IEPI Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative The IEPI Scorecard is an effort that aims to close achievement gaps, improve outcomes for our system’s 2.1 million students and present an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability on student progress and success metrics in public higher education in the United States.

FAQ on Captioning Question Answer Is a transcript good enough? No Are YouTube auto captions sufficient? Can I caption 3rd party videos with DECT? Yes, if you have copyright clearance. Do I have to caption peer review student videos? Only in the presence of a student who requires captions. Can speech recognition do captioning? In very rare situations yes, but generally NO. Is the OEI going to pay for my captioning? Not likely… Responsibility is at local campus. Remember 3C Media and DECT.

Risk Management T or F – All online materials must be made accessible before being posted online. False – “Just in Time” accommodations can be used to balance the load, but it requires planning and communication. T or F – In the absence of a student with a disability, I don’t need to make my course accessible. False – emphasis is on advance preparation. T or F – Accessibility in Online Education is primarily a faculty issue…

Continuing Support Conversation about accessibility are ongoing: CCCCO – Debra Connick CCC Technology Center OEI HTCTU ATPC DECT @ONE Support is ongoing, and collaborative across the system.

Effective Communication (Closing the Loop) Consider the following contexts in regard to Student Success and accessibility connections: Board Policies Governance Committees Supporting Equity Communication loops – Student Services, IT Collaboration and Partnerships – local and statewide

Tools and Resources CCC Technology for Student Success DE Access Guidelines Online Accessibility Resources from the OEI DECT Captioning Grant Faculty primacy in online education Online Teaching Conference Plenary with CEOS and Chief Student Service Officers @ONE Creating Accessible Online Courses Addressing Accessibility in Online Education State Academic Senate Rostrum Accessibility in Online Education