Web Accessibility #4 - Universal Design

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an attempt to reduce barriers in the learning environment; it goes beyond access. It was inspired by the idea of universal design that applies to physical spaces and products. For example, look at the following two images of two different types of door handles we see everyday: knobs and lever handles. Initially the lever handle had been designed for the people with physical disabilities who had limited ability to grasp a door knob. But today it is widely used because it is also useful for others - for example if you were carrying a large box and could not spare one hand to open the door. So this lever door handle is a product that provides maximum benefit to all types of users.

CC Image: Handle by MoneyBlogNewz

CC Image: THIS CAUGHT by Hernan Pinera

Another such example is this brilliant design of stairs and ramps to provide access to buildings.

CC Image: ramp stairs by Simon Claessen

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach is more proactive than providing accommodations. If we correctly follow UDL principles we design learning for all learners; so we may not have to provide individual accommodations as the learning content is accessible by all learners.

Principles of Universal Design

1. Equitable Use
2. Flexibility in Use
3. Simple and Intuitive Use
4. Perceptible Information
5. Tolerance for Error
6. Low Physical Effort
7. Size and Space for Approach and Use

Universal Design Networks 

Universal Design Networks encourage multiple means of representation, engagement and action and expression.  

Affective Network

This is the motivation for learning and it plays a big role in learner's engagement with the learning. Why? what is in it for me? are some of the questions that affective network needs to answer to keep the students engaged. Strategies can be recruiting interest (information that do not get learners attention is inaccessible - can try allowing choice or by personalisation, help make connections to prior knowledge); self-regulation (if learners do not see their progress they will not keep at it - self assess checklists, clear evaluation criteria, feedback); sustaining effort and persistence (short and long term goals, varying challenge levels). 

Strategic Networks

How learners demonstrate mastery or competency of what they have learned is shown in strategic networks. It is the 'how' of learning; how can you express your mastery of learning. Providing them with multiple means of action and expression is a way to support this. Provide choice (allow learners to show what they know in different forms/ways) and support (allow small group discussions, detailed directions, rubric, check list, feedback).

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.                                                                                   -Albert Einstein-

Recognition Networks

This is about how learners understand information. It relates to presenting information in the course - providing multiple representations of information: auditory, text, visual, demonstrations etc. It is the 'what' of learning. A great example used in #AccessMOOC was giving directions to a driver. If someone told me take north exit I may not get very far. If they related it to a landmark or draw a map it may be easier for me. It would be very good if I had Google maps (voice and map) with me to find my way. It shows that for various learners, in this case person finding their way, different ways of representing information is useful. Supporting means could be provide options for perception (text, audio, visual - ways to customise say change font size, colour); provide options for language mathematical expressions and symbols (glossary, key notations); provide options for comprehension (chunk content with key learning points, ask for previous knowledge and relate).

This blog post is based on what I learnt in #AccessMOOC week 3

Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice by Anne Meyer, David H. Rose, and David Gordon is a good read (after creating an account the book is available online for free)

Web Accessibility #3 - Accessibility and Accommodation

I am working through the MOOC "Accessibility: Designing and Teaching Courses for All Learners" offered by Buffalo State University on the Canvas platform and this is how they have defined "accessibility" and "accommodations" in the course. It took some time for me to understand the difference between these two and hence I am writing this blog with some examples to clarify it. This is the #3 of my accessibility blog posts. Other blog posts so far can be found here.

• Web Accessibility #1 - Starting point  
• Web Accessibility #2 - Assistive Technologies 

Some of the examples and quote are from the course "Accessibility: Designing and Teaching Courses for All Learners" I am following at the moment.

Accessibility

"In education, accessibility is a proactive approach to ensuring that learning experiences are as free from barriers for students as we can make them. Accessibility is giving forethought to how you design your courses. It is applying pedagogical approaches such as universal design for learning principles and technical standards such as section 508 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. It helps us meet the requirement that our courses are accessible “out of the box” and reduces the time students may have to wait on us to provide accommodations. Accessibility helps the students achieve independence and provide as equal of an experience as possible for them."
From the material presented in the "Accessibility: Designing and Teaching Courses for All Learners" 

Accommodations

"Accommodations are things we do during instruction to meet a specific and unique need of a student that we can’t do ahead of time. For example, if the learning objective of an online music course requires a student to listen to a classical piece and identify by ear key aspects of that piece, then an accommodation for a student with a hearing impairment would be more appropriate than altering the assignment as it is being designed. However, if an objective required students to visually identify written lyrics, then during design we may ensure that the blind student can access the content by using a screen reader and no accommodations would be needed."
From the material presented in the "Accessibility: Designing and Teaching Courses for All Learners"

accommodations to a course should be reasonable. That is they do not reduce the course standards, do not fundamentally change the nature of the course, or do not pose an undue burden.

Accessibility Tips by Brian Suda available from https://www.flickr.com/photos/suda/8078201695 

Examples

For example, in an online course a student with disabilities including learning difficulties and or mental disorders may request a periodic phone call with the instructor. This does not mean that the instructor need to call/meet with the student daily or weekly as it an undue burden. What is reasonable is biweekly or monthly meeting when this accommodation is approved.

Another example can be approving extended time for quizzes for students with learning difficulties.

What happens if a student requests to do an oral presentation instead of a written report that the course work is asking for? Then the disability services office will have to work with the faculty member to determine whether demonstrating the mastery of course content using the conventions academic writing (referencing, the way of presenting, building up an argument etc) is a learning objective in the course. If so, an oral presentation would not be reasonable hence a different way to accommodate the student's needs would have to be searched for.

In my view, an accommodation is how a course can be adapted or (individualise) to meet a student's disabilities. While accessibility deals with making courses accessible to most students. Something important to note is accommodations are only for the purpose of allowing the student access to the course and not in any form to give the student undue advantage of success in the course.

So why thrive for accessibility why not accommodations as and when required?
Not all of our learners disclose their disabilities. If the student is on an online class for example, you may not know about their disability that becomes a barrier to accessing the course. On the other hand, fixing something that is already created to accommodate accessibility is much harder than designing for it up front. So my advise will be to thrive for accessibility and be prepared for reasonable accommodations to provide individualise support.

Watch this space for my next blog on Accessibility.