What Can I Do As a Faculty Member?
"We should move as rapidly as possible to full accessibility of instructional media, not simply because 'it is the law,' but because access to higher education is the very purpose of public systems such as ours."
- Wm. Clay Poe,
Professor of Archaeology
- Review the Americans with Disability Act and Section 508 of the Rehabiliation Act.
- Make textbook decisions early.
- Incorporate the principles of Universal Design for Learning when developing a new course or redesigning a current one.
- Attend workshops to learn how to make websites accessible.
- Attend workshos to learn how to create accessible Word, Powerpoint and PDF files.
- Visit the Accessibility Training page for a listing of workshops.
- Use accessible multimedia instructional materials (e.g. closed-caption video).
- Post instructional materials and lecture outlines online whenever possible.
- Present course materials using a variety of media (e.g. visual aids).
What Can I Do As a Staff Member?
- Review the Americans with Disability Act and Section 508 standards.
- Attend workshops on creating accessible documents and websites.
- Create a work environment that promotes the creation of accessible programs, services and documents.
- Familiarize yourself with the resources provided by Disability Services for Students.
- When developing website or publications, include photos of individuals with disabilities interacting with peers without disabilities.
- Incorporate Section 508 guidelines in all aspects of event planning (e.g. marketing, logistics, technical elements, content, etc.)
- Include a statement on department materials, event registration forms, websites, etc. encouraging students who have questions (e.g. accommodation, etc.) to contact the department for clarification and solutions.
What Can I Do As a Student?
Assist a student with a disability by serving as a note taker.- Understand that everyone communicates and performs tasks at a different pace and in different ways and that a person’s disability may not be obvious.
- Create accessible class presentations (e.g. PowerPoint) and projects.
- Create accessible club and organization events, materials, publications and websites.
- Host a club or organization meeting on the topic of accessibility.
- Create, ensure and foster inclusiveness. Discourage stereotypical behavior.
- Protect and respect the privacy of individuals with disabilities.