1. as a Means to Involve Faculty and Increase Accessibility
Subject Area Studies
as a Means to Involve Faculty and Increase Accessibility

2. Presenters
Phyllis Petteys - Accessibility Specialist, Disability Services
Karen Sorensen - Accessibility Advocate for Online Courses, Distance Learning
Angel Chesimet - Disability Counselor, Disability Services

3. What is a Subject Area Study?
1 term, deep-dive into the content, materials & way a subject is taught.
2 -3 faculty, each paid the equivalent of teaching 1 course
Disability Services
Distance Ed Accessibility / Instructional Technology
End users
Working together, recognizing that DL and DS are not subject area experts, and faculty are not accessibility experts.
Outcomes
Best practices report / resource posted on pcc.edu/access
Presentation

4. Goals of SAS Increase awareness of accessibility
Increase awareness of disability issues
Faculty become advocates
Share discoveries, tools, resources, and techniques with colleagues
Benefits all students because it makes the learning environment richer
Faculty video - Chris K.

5. To date at PCC, 4 SAS Math (Fall, 2012)
Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, Computer Application Systems (Winter, 2014)
Geography (Winter, 2016)
Communications and Journalism (Spring, 2016)

6. Math Distance Ed + Math faculty + End user
Takeaway - not all students who are blind learn math the same way, or have the same technology or Braille skills
WeBWork
the rule of four, a guiding principle in teaching math,
when a concept or idea is introduced and discussed, communicate it in four ways:
algebraically
numerically
verbally
graphically
The challenge is then how to present these concepts to students with disabilities

7. Continued advocacy by math faculty
Faculty continue to promote WeBWork (an accessible, open source homework site)
Continue to articulate the need for equally effective materials (such as tactile graphics) when needed
A voice when talking to publishers
Share findings and experiences at conferences
Advocate for our students
Leaders at the college as well as nationally by advocating for greater math accessibility

8. Computer Science, Computer Informations Systems, Computer Application Systems
Faculty expressed doubt that a student who is blind could take their classes, but quickly saw, by watching end users use a screen reader.
Realization that it may be the way the
subject is taught, not the discipline itself
that provides barriers to students (UDL).
Faculty video (Marc)

9. Geography
Geography tends to be a visual discipline, consisting of maps, technology such as GIS, photos, videos, histograms etc.
We brought in a student who is blind and majored in Ecology at a four year college, who showed the faculty that an awareness of the world of spatial relationships is in no way limited to those who can see.

10. Social Geography Image
Discussing an image:
To describe factually or to interpret
Think creatively
Ask for different perspectives

11. Maps
Princeton Braillists ( Tactile maps and atlases - VERY reasonably priced!
We also looked at technology and tactile maps (Livescribe, IVEO)
The Geography Study taught us that
a good map does not try to show too many features
This is the guiding principle of a tactile map but it works for other maps too

12. Communications/Journalism
Prior studies had been math and science subjects.
Brought in end users who are blind and end users who are deaf
Looked at publisher content
UDL solutions: Choices for assignments, Broaden existing assignments
Faculty study member: Chris K.

13. Broaden course content
Increasing disability studies concepts in their classes
Instructors, in their classes, already looked at marginalized people in the media with a social justice lens, and now are prepared to include people with disabilities in the discussion
Using UDL concepts create a richer learning experience for all students
Faculty study member: Stacie W.

14. Conclusions
Faculty come to the realization/awareness of what it means to make a course accessible
Is the goal for students with disabilities to simply pass the class?
Faculty realize that it may be the way the subject is taught, not the discipline itself that provides barriers to students

15. Basic steps for implementing SAS at your school
Assemble a team
Find the funding
Faculty get paid the equivalent to course release from 1 course
Payment comes from different sources
Distance Education
Subject Area departments
Deans of Instruction
Promote the study. Recruit!