1. Universal Design in Online Learning: From Principles to Practice
Sheryl Burgstahler,
University of Washington
Academic Services, UW-IT

2. Two UW Centers: Access Technology Center (ATC) DO-IT Center
Founded 1984
Funded by UW
DO-IT Center
Founded1992
Supported with federal, state, corporate, private funds
Expanded to DO-IT Japan, 2007

3. Ultimate goal:
To improve academic & career outcomes for all students, including those with disabilities

4. Universal Design in Higher Education: From Principles to Practice
Harvard Education Press
See Chapters for content related to online learning
to join our UDHE CoP

5. Presentation outline Approaches to access
Universal design (UD) & its applications in educational settings
Applications of UD relevant to online & hybrid courses
Issues with respect to Canvas
Resources

6. People face challenges related to:
Socioeconomic status
Race
Culture
Gender
Age
Veteran status
Ability …

7. Ability on a continuum
see hear walk read print write with pen or pencil communicate verbally tune out distraction learn manage physical/mental health

8. Differences in Education Legislation
K-12: Every child is offered a free, appropriate education in as integrated setting as possible
Postsecondary: Students must meet the entrance/course/ graduation requirements with or without reasonable accommodations that they must request

9. Evolution of access approaches: • Exclusion • Medical, functional limitations focus: cure, rehabilitate, accommodate • Social justice & universal design

10. Accommodation = Alternate format, service, &/or adjustment for a
specific
individual

11. “Coffeepot for Masochists”, Catalog of Unfindable Objects by Jacques Carelman; in Donald Norman’s The Psychology of Everyday Things, 1988

12. Universal design = “the design of products & environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.” The Center for Universal Design

13. UD can be applied to:
Student services
Technology
Physical spaces
Instruction

14. Universal Design of Instruction (UDI)

15. ...promotes curriculum with multiple means of:
representation
expression
engagement
UDL, Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)

16. Apply UDI to: overall design of instruction
specific teaching techniques (e.g., lectures, large- & small-group discussions, video presentations, online instruction)
choice of course content (e.g., include UD/disability content)

17. Examples of UDI practices:
Welcome students by name.
Avoid stigmatizing a student by drawing undue attention to a difference.
Use large, bold fonts with high contrast on uncluttered overhead displays & speak aloud all content.
Provide multiple ways to gain & demonstrate knowledge, using multiple senses. 17

18. Examples of UDI practices:
Avoid unnecessary jargon; define terms.
Provide scaffolding tools (e.g., outline).
Provide materials in accessible formats.
Provide corrective opportunities.
Test in same manner in which you teach.
Minimize time constraints as appropriate.
Know how to arrange for accommodations.

19. Good teaching is good teaching.19

20. UD of IT

21. UW Accessible IT Task Force
Enhancement of online resources Accessible Technology at the UW
Promotion of accessible IT
Exploration of policies & processes

22. Universally-designed Video
Address multiple audiences in design
Film with captions in mind
Large, clear captions
Searchable captions
Design so that key content is spoken as well as visually presented
Content clearly organized
Audio-described version available Examples: uw.edu/doit/video

23. Beneficiaries include people who:
are unable to hear the audio
are unable to see the video
are unable to use a mouse
are limited in English skills
do not speak English
are in a noisy/noiseless location
have slow Internet connections
need to find content quickly

24. Problem Solution (AT) access to electronic resources universal design
access to computers
access to electronic resources
assistive technology
(AT)
universal design

25. Bachelors Degree Computer Science
Nicole Torcolini
Bachelors Degree Computer Science
Stanford
Google
speech output
Braille translation software
Braille display & printer

26. Professor, Seoul National University
Sang-Mook Lee, Ph.D.
Geoscience
Professor, Seoul National University
sip & puff, head controls
onscreen keyboard
English speech input
phone-computer interface

27. Business Analyst Amazon.com
Jessie Shulman
BA, Informatics
Business Analyst Amazon.com
speech output
speech input
grammar/spell checker

28. Universally-designed website is:
Perceivable
Operable
Understandable
Robust
World Wide Web
Consortium (W3C) WCAG 2.0

29. Accessible website uses:
Standard HTML
Alternative text for images
Simple backgrounds
Appropriate color schemes & contrast
Descriptive link text
Techniques that do not rely on mouse …

30. Test a Web Page for Accessibility
Turn off graphics
Turn off sound
Use only keyboard
Use accessibility checker tools (e.g., SiteImprove)

31. Accessible design of online learning issues:
Guidelines/standards to adopt
Policies & procedures that promote accessible design
Use of content management systems that facilitate the creation of accessible courses
Professional development of faculty & online course designers

32. UD on a continuum Materials on website, in accessible formats
Materials on website as scanned-in PDFs
All materials in printed form

33. UD – know it when you see it:
…at “skateboard park”

34. Issues regarding Canvas:
Instructure (company that produces Canvas) is not required by law to make an accessible product, but the UW is required to make its courses accessible to all students (& faculty!)
Instructure staff listen & care about meeting customer's needs; UW-IT staff is working closely with them on accessibility issues

35. To design accessible courses in Canvas you can:
Use headings
Add alternate text to images
Caption videos
Upload accessible course materials
Ask questions about accessibility before selecting other features or tools
Consultant: Terry Thompson,

36. + Send email to doit@uw.edu to join our UDHE CoP
Online resources:
Real Connections: Making DL Accessible to Everyone
World Wide Access: Accessible Web Design
Equal Access: Universal Design of Distance Learning
AccessDL
Accessible Technology at the UW
+ Send to to join our UDHE CoP