Accessibility in Online Learning
The U. S. Department of Commerce, Economics, and statistics state that there are over 26 million people living in the United States with at least one disability.
Improving access and usability for people with disabilities also improves usability for others, thus creating a platform for the social inclusion of all students (Burgstahler, 2015). This creates digital equity. Digital Equity is the practice of ensuring that each individual has the resources they need to achieve the same end result, particularly in the context of access to technology (GoGuardian Team, 2020).
HOW DO WE PROVIDE DIGITAL EQUITY?
Universal design (UD) has emerged over the last two decades as a framework for describing a proactive, fully inclusive model for all aspects of instruction.
In all applications of UD to teaching, instructors anticipate the presence of students with diverse abilities and characteristics
They make design decisions that result in learning opportunities available to all of these individuals, rather than focusing only on the average or “typical” student (Burgstahler, 2015a).
Thus, universally designed courses are welcoming to, accessible to, and usable by all potential students.
Thank you for joining me today! Let’s keep learning altogether, as lifelong #LearningMatters.
Best,
Laura Lawson
Sources:
Burgstahler, S. (2015). Opening Doors or Slamming Them Shut? Online Learning Practices and Students with Disabilities. Social Inclusion, 3(6), 69-79. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v3i6.420
Burgstahler, S. (2021, April 12). Universal design: Process, principles, and applications. DO-IT. https://www.washington.edu/doit/universal-design-process-principles-and-applications
DOC. (2002). A nation online: How Americans are expanding their use of the Internet. Retrieved January 28, 2006, from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/html/anationonline2.htm
GoGuardian. (2020, August 19). Equitable access to technology. GoGuardian Blog. https://www.goguardian.com/blog/equitable-access-to-technology
