Module 2 Accessibility and Universal Design

Universal Design for Learning

Watch and listen to this YouTube video titled UDL At A Glance by CAST. (04:37)

eLearning Accessibility

Incorporating Universal Design for eLearning principles, as demonstrated in this training, is crucial for creating accessible courses. The following tips will aid in making your course inclusive for all learners.

Provide Alternative Text for Non-text Elements

Provide alternative text for non-text elements (images, animation, map regions, audio files, etc.) Canvas will prompt you to add a description and tags when you upload a video. Be sure to populate these fields.

Use Link Descriptions

When posting a link using the text editor, type the description, highlight the text, then look for and click on the chain link icon in the text editor toolbar. When the window opens, paste the URL, and click Insert Link.

Example: Review the article titled Universal Design for Learning A Framework for Blended Learning in Nursing Educationand reflect on how you can implement UDL in your classroom.

BAD Example: Read this article.

Use Color with Care

Red and green are the most common deficiency colors in color blindness, but color combinations are important, as well. Your page layouts should be as clean and simple as possible. Best option: use system default settings.

File Names

Screen readers, software used by visually impaired students, read aloud links to websites and files. A PDF with the name reading.pdf will not be very helpful for a visually impaired user. Use descriptive words to differentiate between your files.

Video Titles

When creating videos for Canvas, ensure they have descriptive titles that follow a consistent naming convention, similar to file naming practices. A recommended format includes the course name followed by a descriptive title, such as "AMED 5000: Semester Orientation."

Include Video Transcript if Possible

If you are uploading a video for which there is a text transcript, be sure to include the text file with your video.

Resources

Canvas: Improving the Accessibility of Your Course
What Is UDL? Seeing the Full Tapestry
Canvas Voluntary Accessibility Template
Universal Design for Learning and Digital Accessibility

Portions of this content have been adapted with permission from Brown Teaching With Technology.