1. SCENARIO 1: You are preparing course materials to post online…
(Assistive Technology Resource Center)
Assistive Technology Resource Center (ATRC)

2. Diversity Goes Digital
What does diversity have to do with your course materials?
Consider the variety of digital content you will be providing.
Consider the diversity of students and the technology they use to access that content.
It can be a challenge to ensure that everyone is able to use your course materials effectively.
The answer? Create flexible materials.
Diversity goes digital.
What does diversity have to do with course materials?
Consider the variety of digital content you will be providing. You may expect students to access several file types, including Word documents, PowerPoints, PDFs, Videos, Podcasts, etc.
Consider the diversity of students and the technology they use to access that content. Our diverse population includes those with additional learning challenges, such as English Language Learners and students with disabilities. Students also use a wide variety of technology, including assistive technology, mobile devices, and various operating systems to accomplish their goals.
With all of this diversity, it can be a challenge to ensure that everyone is able to access your course materials effectively.
The answer is to create content that is flexible enough to work for all students and their diverse technologies.

3. To Create Flexible Materials
Include these steps in your workflow:
Make PDFs Searchable
Make Links Descriptive
Use Headings in Word, Canvas, & on the Web
Use Slide Layouts in PowerPoint
Add Captions to Videos
For how to do these and more, visit Accessibility By Design (
To create flexible materials, practice including these steps in your workflow. Making them part of your workflow is more efficient than retrofitting when a need arises.
Make PDFs searchable. This allows students to highlight, copy, paste, and listen to the text using text-to-speech software.
Make links descriptive so that it is clear where the link goes, and to avoid cluttering the page with long strings of nonsense characters.
Use hierarchical headings in Word, Canvas, and on the web to provide an outline, or table of contents, for the document.
Use slide layouts in PowerPoint to ensure that text-to-speech technology can read all of the elements on the slide.
Add captions to videos so that students who are unable to listen to the audio for any reason can still access the content.
For tutorials on how to do these steps and more, visit

4. SCENARIO 2: A Student Requests Various Accommodations…
Extra time for testing
Class notes ahead of time
Alternative format textbooks and materials
Access to exams ahead of time
Ability to record lectures for notetaking
Scenario 2. A student requests various accommodations. These accommodations include:
extra time for testing,
Getting class notes ahead of time, and alternative
textbooks and materials. They plan to use these with text to speech software.
And access to the exam ahead of time. They also ask to record your lectures to support their notetaking.
What is your response to the student, and what steps
do you take to accommodate them?

5. Some Things to Consider
Student provides a letter or memo from Resources with Disabled Students (RDS)
Students should not negotiate with professors on accommodations
Contact RDS with objections or concerns
When a student has accommodations they can provide a letter or memo from the office of Resources for Disabled students (RDS). The accommodations that are listed have been decided upon through an interactive process and dialogue with the student, determining appropriate accommodations that will allow them equal access. It is important to note that students should not negotiate these accommodations with instructors. For example, if the accommodation says the student gets double time for exam it would not be appropriate to try to negotiate time and half with the student. If the instructor has any concerns or objections it is best to reach out to RDS on campus.

6. More Case Particulars Access to Exams
Assistive Technology can be an accommodation
Flexible Materials needed to use with some assistive technology
Lecture Recording Accommodations
Instructors obligated to permit recording through various AT
Contact Assistive Technology Resource Center at or for support in creating flexible materials or questions on assistive technology
More Case Particulars.
Let’s look a little closer at this specific scenario. First of all students will not have access to exams ahead of time. If they test in a separate area or time, then RDS will have you send the test directly to them. The student will not have access to it prior to taking the exam.
It is also important to look at flexible materials. In this students case, they are wanting their textbooks and readings in a digital format that will work with assistive technology that has been deemed an accommodation. When instructors create documents that are usable and flexible, it allows students with AT accommodations to access and use the materials. For example, this student can access the materials with programs that read the text aloud. Remember to contact the ATRC to find out more about how to create flexible course materials. There are simple steps you can take to benefit all students.
Additionally, this student, like many others has an accommodation allowing them to record lectures. Ultimately, instructors are obligated to permit the recording of lectures if it is an approved accommodation. If there are concerns or objections, again, it is important to reach out to RDS.
Overall, it is important to remember that accommodations, including assistive technologies, are tools that allow students with varying disabilities equal access to the curriculum. Their accommodations are the equivalent of a person wearing glasses because they have poor vision.