MBECTEUnderstand Accessibility Essentials

Objectives

When you complete this module, you should be able to:

Articulate what Accessibility, Disability, and Neurodivergence are, and how they can impact learning.
Understand the legal guidelines set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), applicable sections of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the University of Utah regulations.
Appreciate the value of cultivating conscientious, equitable practices in education.

Introduction

The concept of "Accessibility" in higher education is a hot topic, but what does that actually mean?

In this module, we'll take a closer look at what accessibility really means, some of the populations of students impacted most by inaccessible courses, and the key legal precedents that apply to our courses here at the University of Utah.

We'll also look at a few case studies and examples of where these ideas show up in our everyday lives.

How does all of this look in practice?

We'll get into all of the technological details of how to make your content compatible with assistive technologies in the next unit, Achieve Compliance.

In our final unit, we'll discover some teaching strategies that will make your classroom more inclusive toward all types of learners: Teach Proactively.

Key Terms

Accessibility: Accessible learning enables all learners to acquire the same information, engage in the same activities, and receive the same services in an equally effective and integrated manner, easily.
Pathological Model of Disability: What about this person is preventing them from receiving equal access? The person experiencing the challenge is the problem. To solve the problem, the person needs to change.
Social Model of Disability: What about the environment this person is in is preventing equal access? The environment in which the person is working is the problem. To solve the problem, the environment needs to change.
Universal Design: Designs that can be used by everyone without needing to be adapted for certain populations.
Disability: A situational, temporary, or permanent physical or mental impairment that substantially limits major life activities.
Neurodiversity: Different types of brain networking that can impact how people learn, read, write, calculate numbers, focus on tasks, work with others, understand directions, and manage time.
Neurotypical: People whose strengths and challenges are not impacted by significant neural network differences.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): A US law that prohibits discrimination against Disabled people in several areas, including access to government services like public education.
Rehabilitation Act of 1973: A US law that forbids denying Disabled people equal access to public services (Section 504) and requires equal access to electronic resources and information to be provided (Section 508).

Module Overview