What is Instructional Accessibility?
Instructional Accessibility refers to the design of educational environments, materials, activities and assessments that are accessible to all learners, regardless of their abilities, disabilities, or learning preferences. Instructional Accessibility includes ensuring that teaching materials, instructional strategies, classroom activities and technologies used in the classroom are designed with accessibility in mind.
Digital Accessibility is closely related to instructional accessibility as many educational materials are now delivered through digital platforms such as learning management systems, online course modules, or e-books. Ensuring Digital Accessibility involves making sure that digital resources and technologies used in the classroom are designed in a way that accommodates the needs of all students, including those with disabilities. This could involve using captioning or transcripts for videos, using alt-text for images, ensuring compatibility with assistive technologies, and making sure that online content is navigable and easy to use for everyone. By prioritizing instructional and digital accessibility, educators can ensure that all students have equal access to the activities, materials, and resources they need to access and succeed in their learning experiences.
Benefits of Proactively Prioritizing Digital Accessibility
"Faculty members that create accessible content help me easily go back and understand material. I use assistive technology to read before class so I can engage better in class discussions."
"By proactively prioritizing digital accessibility needs, students are most enthusiastic about how much time is saved and how much easier and enjoyable it is to prepare for class."
Why is Instructional Accessibility important?
Instructional Accessibility promotes inclusivity and ensures that all students, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, can participate in the learning process. This helps create an inclusive learning environment that is supportive and welcoming to all students.
Instructional accessibility can enhance progress towards the learning outcomes for all students. By providing a more accessible learning environment and learning materials, educators can improve the learning experience for everyone, regardless of their dis/abilities.
When accessibility considerations are integrated into instructional design and delivery, it can spur innovation in technology and lead to the development of enhanced student experiences that have wider benefits for all.
Instructional accessibility ensures that students with disabilities have equal access to educational materials and resources, enabling them to participate fully in the educational experience. Proactively planning for accessibility gives students with disabilities access to content at the same time as their peers, not after.
Instructional Accessibility is important because faculty members at private institutions have legal obligations for digital accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. They are responsible for ensuring that digital materials and resources used in their courses are accessible to students with disabilities. Faculty members play a critical role in creating accessible courses and ensuring that all students have equal access to educational materials and resources. If you have further questions, please connect with Accessible DU: Student Disability Services (SDS; formally Disability Services Program (DSP)) at dsp@du.edu regarding student accommodations or the ADA Coordinator at ada.coordinator@du.edu for additional support.
