Accessible Teaching: Tips and Tools for Building Accessible Courses Randy Borst Sue Mann Dolce Tina Oddo Sharon Raimo

1. Accessible Teaching: Tips and Tools for Building Accessible Courses Randy Borst Sue Mann Dolce Tina Oddo Sharon Raimondi Caryn Sobieski-VanDelinder March 20, 2010

2. Presentation Goals Provide an overview of the legal requirements Discuss importance of transforming teaching to minimize the need for academic adjustments Provide an overview of the accommodation and participation models Discuss the concepts of Universal Couse Design Recommend tips to improve your syllabi

3. Presentation Goals Apply the concepts of UDL to college classroom practices Demonstrations/applications to increase awareness of use of assistive devices by students Provide an overview of arts integration and visual literacy Provide the benefits of student assignment submission Filling in the cracks of UDL – interpersonal communication between students and instructors

4. Accessible Teaching: The Legal and Human Aspects Randall E. Borst, Director Department Disability Services (716) 645-2608 TTY: 716-645-2616 reborst@buffalo.edu stu-disability@acsu.buffalo.edu

5. Presentation Goals Provide an overview of the legal requirements Discuss importance of transforming teaching to minimize the need for academic adjustments

6. Accessible Teaching Susan Mann Dolce PhD, Counselor Disability Services T(716) 645-2608 TTY: (716) 645-2616 Fax: (716) 645-3116 samann@buffalo.edu

7. Overview of accomodation and participation models Current system in postsecondary education: - Accomodation Model Accepted as "able" Document "disability" Receive accomodations to participate Working toward: - Participation Model  Universal Course Design

8. Universal Course Design The design of college courses including - curriculum - instruction - assessment - environment To be usable by all students, to the  greatest extent possible, without the need for accommodation

9. Key Tips for Making Your Class Accessible First: Decide what essential information and practices the students must learn and how they will demonstrate their knowledge. Then: Choose texts & readings that are available in accessible electronic format. Use open captioned videos, accessible websites, & accessible power point presentations. Create accessible group work. Create multiple options for assessing knowledge.

10. Accessibility Links National Center for Accessible Media, Tools and Guidelines (NCAM distributes magpie, the captioning program)http://ncam.wgbh.org/invent_build/web_multimedia/tools-guidelines WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind). They also do great webinars. http://webaim.org/articles/ The fed gov website on Section 508 compliance. They have a page of links to other academic communities IT/AT departments. Many have posted policies that could serve as a model. Lots of other resources available there too. http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Content&ID=82 AHEAD listserves ondifferent topics/programs. Look under “Special Interest Groups”.http://www.ahead.org/sigs/technology/resources A customizable quick reference to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref/ Info from Apple on iTunes U:http://images.apple.com/support/itunes_u/docs/iTunes_U_and_Accessibility.pdf

11. Syllabi Tips Use accessibility features when using word. If using table or text boxes enter info so screen reader is able to follow. If using graphics create accessible text box to explain/describe the graphic. Remember screen readers do not “see” highlights and bold. Always include an statement regarding accommodations.

12. Syllabi Statement http://www.student-affairs.buffalo.edu/ods/(This institution abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which mandates academic adjustments, which are commonly called reasonable accommodations, be provided for students with documented disabilities). If you have a disability and may require some type of instructional and/or examination accommodation, please contact me early in the semester so that I can provide or facilitate in providing accommodations you may need. If you have not already done so, contact the Disability Services office, the designated office on campus to provide services for students with disabilities. The office is located at 25 Capen Hall and the telephone number is (716) 645-2608. I look forward to talking with you.

13. Accessible Teaching:Applications for Classroom Practice Sharon Raimondi, Professor and Director Joint Doctoral Program in Special Education Department of Learning and Instruction 591 Baldy Hall 716-645-5042 raimondi@buffalo.edu

14. Presentation Goals Apply the concepts of UDL to higher education classroom practices

15. Question For the students in your classroom What are some of the barriers to successful performance? Think about this question. Turn to your neighbor and share ideas.

16. CAST believes that “barriers to learning are not, in fact, inherent in the capacities of learners, but instead arise in learners' interactions with inflexible educational goals, materials, methods, and assessments.” Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age, p. vi Origins of UDL David Rose

17. UDL Definition In terms of learning, The design of instructional materials and activities that allows the learning goals to be achievable by individuals with differences in their abilities to see, hear, speak, move, read, write, understand English, attend, organize, engage, and remember (ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, 1999)

18. UDL Although not limited to digital media Digital media is highly flexible Individualized by user - Multiple representations: image, text, video - Medium: Text –to-speech, speech-to-text, text-to-Braille - Characteristics: Size of print, color, sound - Embedded supports: Hyperlinks, graphics, animations, queries, scaffolding, branching, tools

19. How can you meet the pedagogical goals, not compromise your standards, and meet the learning needs of students? • Sensitive issue for students and instructors • Options • - Flexibility of format • - Alternatives • - Pop quizzes Assessment

20. 9 Principles of UD for Instruction Equitable use Notes on line or word notebook Flexibility in use Allow choice - media, print, presentation Simple and intuitive Big ideas, exemplars Perceptible information Digitized texts ADA websites

21. 9 Principles of UD for Instruction Tolerance for error Use powerful video anchors that are captioned Low physical effort Allow word processing for notes, reports Encourage voice activated and word prediction software

22. 6. Low physical effort Use preview option to record notes (mac only)

23. 6. Low physical effort Use word notebook

24. 9 Principles of UD for Instruction Size and space for approach and use Face students, keep a clear line of sight A community of learners Create study groups Create discussion groups Use cooperative learning groups Create an instructional climate Implement zero tolerance Reaffirm high expectations Clear syllabus with dates, expectations, details

25. Good Teaching is Good Teaching

26. Accessible Teaching:Demonstrations and Applications of Assistive Devices Christine Oddo Director Client Service Center For Assistive Technology (716) 836-0230 coddo@buffalo.edu

27. Why use ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY? computer access access learning materials writing reading communication organization access information daily activities /schedules / manage files body position

28. Computer Input direct selection speech recognition hand writing recognition scanning and switch eye gaze code developing technologies - gesture recognition - brain waves

29. Computer Output modification of display i.e. large print; high color contrast speech output captions flash signal braille or tactile display gestures

30. Dragon Naturally Speaking • - speech recognition software • Trackball – alternate pointing device • W/C accessible adjustable height table UB Assistive Technology Stations

31. magnifies display • reads documents, articles, web UB AT Stations:Zoomtext Magnifier / ScreenReader

32. UB AT Stations:JAWS Screen Reading Software • reads text, menus, lists, icons, alt text • keyboard keys and commands used for all computer tasks: • - windows navigation • - file management • - read documents • - writing • - internet access

33. scan print materials • highlight and hear text read UB Reader Stations: Kurzweil 3000 and Scanner

34. Read & Write Gold • works across programs • highlight and read text and menus • read PDF files • read Internet • writing tools

35. Hints - UBLearns • order files - i.e. 01 Week, 02 Week, etc. • give directions for location of files on UBLearns • use high contrast colors • provide descriptions for color coded info • simplify charts • provide alternate audio file formats • text for audio files • use alt tags for graphics and pictures • test materials using the keyboard

36. Accessible Teaching:Visual Literacy and Arts Integrationfor every student Caryn Sobieski-Vandelinder Media Production Specialist / Webmaster Department Chief Information Officer sobieski@buffalo.edu

37. What is Visual Literacy? The development of a student's ability to comprehend, make meaning of, and communicate through visual means, usually in the form of images or multimedia

38. What is Arts Integration? Approach to teaching and learning that uses the visual arts as a pathway to learning Differs from traditional education by its inclusion of both an arts discipline and a traditional subject as part of learning Increase knowledge of a general subject area while concurrently fostering a greater understanding and appreciation of the visual arts

39. English Literacy and Art Example: Original Assignment - Create a written response to a reading in a specified format Integrated Assignment - Creative approach might include a collage, PowerPoint, iMovie, student performance, poster, etc. Creating through multimodality - layering multiple texts, encourages students to formulate meaning of learned knowledge in many expressive and unique formats (Love, M. S., 2005). 

40. Some of the Benefits Arts Integration enhances cognitive engagement, attention, attendance Visual Arts enhances reading skills and interpretation of text, improves attention to detail Drama enhances story comprehension, improved peer interaction / collaboration

41. In a UDL curriculum . . . Goals provide an appropriate challenge for ALL Materials have a flexible format supporting transformation between media and multiple representations of content to support ALL learning Methods are flexible and diverse enough to provide appropriate learning experiences, challenges, and support for ALL Assessment is sufficiently flexible to provide accurate, ongoing information that helps teachers adjust instruction and maximize learning Source: Hitchock, Meyer, Rose, & Jackson, 2002

42. Visual Arts Support UDL Challenges and engages all students with new ideas in assignment submission Students have the option to produce an assignment in a variety of formats Diverse for multiple learning styles and abilities Accurate assessment quantifies learned knowledge

43.  Center for Digital Storytellingat Ohio State Infusion of digital storytelling practice as a form through which students can reflect on what they are learning http://digitalstory.osu.edu/resources.html

44. Teaching Across the Curriculum http://www.adobe.com/education/k12/movies/edu_coral_reef.swf http://www.adobe.com/education/k12/21stcentury.html

45. How can you meet the pedagogical goals, not compromise your standards, and meet the learning needs of students? • Sensitive issue for students and instructors • Options • Flexibility of format • Alternatives • Pop quizzes Assessment

46. Resources Center for Applied Special Technology www.cast.org National Center on UDL http://www.udlcenter.org/ Trace Center www.trace.wisc.edu Association of Higher Education and Disability www.ahead.org Captioning site http://www.overstream.net/ A personal journey on UDL http://anitas.edublogs.org/