Join us to share and hear about “plus 1” accessibility efforts

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

Faculty often find that when they are seeking to accommodate students with documented disabilities, or when they simply wish to make their courses more effective and inclusive, the challenges of increasing accessibility can be daunting. Some of us lessen the anxiety of making learning materials more accessible by adopting a “plus 1” strategy to improve the accessibility of just one element of a course or activity per quarter, the benefits of which extend to all participating students.

To support this effort, Academic Technology Services recently published an Accessibility Guide for Teaching and Presenting listing a variety of practices that make course materials more accessible, as well as the benefits to all students of adopting even one new accessibility strategy.

To mark the launch of this new guide, we’re hosting a Faculty Forum on Friday, April 21st from 12-1pm on Zoom to discuss your own “plus 1" accessibility strategies that have improved your teaching. Please join us to share your insights and learn from colleagues who are wrestling with the challenges of creating content and activities that lower barriers to participation and support all students as they learn.

Although this event will be recorded, we would love to have you join us synchronously. We always enjoy hearing multiple perspectives; as Walt Whitman said, “I have learned that to be with those I like is enough.” See you Friday!

Best,

Andy Jones
Academic Associate Director, Academic Technology Services
Host, DOLCEs and Faculty Forums

P.S. PlayPosit is an online tool for adding quiz questions to the timelines of videos, but did you know there are a variety of interactions available, even without video? Join us this Wednesday, April 19 from 10-11 a.m. for this month’s Ed Tech Spotlight Series webinar, “No Video, No Problem: Building Text-Based Bulbs,” and learn how to build interactive experiences for students utilizing written lessons rather than just recorded ones.

P.P.S. There’s still time to register for the Teaching and Learning Complex Workshop Series, a joint collaboration between The Center for Educational Effectiveness and Academic Technology Services. Sign up for the TLC series by April 21. For more information, visit the TLC webpage.

Image by Jimmy Chan from Pixabay