Creating Accessible Courses
Supporting faculty in creating and delivering courses that are accessible to students with disabilities.
Background
Ensuring that online courses are accessible to students with disabilities is a legal requirement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973). The University of Louisville is invested in making online courses and materials accessible to students with disabilities. To this end, the Delphi Center collaborates closely with the Disability Resource Center to support faculty members in making their courses, both online and face-to-face, as accessible as possible.
Program Manager for Digital, Emerging and Assistive Technologies: Beth Case
Beth Case is the program manager for Digital, Emerging, and Assistive Technologies at the Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning. In this capacity, she oversees the support for faculty at UofL regarding accessible teaching practices. Prior to this position, Beth worked in postsecondary disability services for 13 years. She stays on top of emerging trends in using technology in education and enjoys sharing that knowledge with others.
Beth is available to support faculty members through workshops, individual consultation, course reviews, and other support services as needed. If you would like to discuss the accessibility of your materials or course, please contact Beth Case at 502.852.7689 or through email.
Making Online Courses Accessible
The Delphi Center and Disability Resource Center are taking a proactive approach toward making online courses accessible. When a student with a sensory disability (vision and/or hearing loss) registers for an online course, Beth Case is notified by the Disability Resource Center so she can reach out to offer assistance to the faculty member. More information can be found in the document titled Protocol for Supporting Faculty in Creating Accessible Online Materials [PDF].
“How-To” Documents
The following documents walk faculty through the process of making their materials and courses more accessible.
- Protocol for Supporting Faculty in Creating Accessible Online Materials [PDF]
- Converting PDF Files [PDF]
- Creating Accessible Word Documents and PDF Files [PDF]
- Extracting Blackboard Tests and Quizzes into Word [PDF]
- Making PowerPoint Accessible [PDF]
- Providing Extra Test Time in Blackboard [PDF]
- Writing Effective Alt Text [PDF]
- Captioning in YouTube [PDF]
- Embedding YouTube Videos [PDF]
- Embedding Amara Videos [PDF]
- Captioning with Amara [PDF]
Accessibility Instructional Module
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View this instructional module to learn about various tips and resources to assist in making your courses accessible.
Access module
Accessibility Statements
Quality Matters Standard 8.2 requires that links to the accessibility statements for all required technologies be listed in your online course. You could add these links to your syllabus, the “Start Here” page, “University Resources”, or wherever it makes sense. You only need to include the technologies that you are using in your course, remembering to add any not listed below. If you need assistance finding the accessibility statement for a tool not listed here, please contact Beth Case.
Online Resources
There are many useful online resources on accessibility. The following resources are recommended.
Creating Accessible Word Documents