Accommodating Students with Disabilities

1. Accommodating Students with Disabilities Presented by: Disability Resource Services Staff and Individuals with Disabilities Advisory Committee “You are the Key to Accessibility” Universal Design Developed by Utah State University, Project supported by a grant from U.S. Department of Education Office of Post Secondary Education. P33A990006

2. Introduction to Universal Design • Focus was to design physical spaces accessible from the start, rather than adapting later. Concept of universal design originated in architectural planning.

3. “Universal Design is an approach to design that acknowledges the changes experienced by everyone during his or her lifetime. It considers children, old people, people who are tall or short, and those with various disabilities. It addresses the lifespan of a human being beyond the mythical average person.” --Gordon Mansfield, former Chair, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Adaptive Environments)

4. Universal Design in Education is: Making the goals of learning attainable for all students --regardless of learning style, physical, sensory, organizational, or linguistic abilities. • Emphasizes meeting unique needs. • Provides a variety of alternatives to access and engage in the learning process. • Goes beyond accommodation students with disabilities to benefit all students.

5. Use Best Practice Instructional Strategies • Provide information in a variety of ways. • Use methods that engage different senses. • Restate questions asked in class. • Provide additional time for lab access.

6. Instructional Strategies cont. • Create an expanded syllabus outlining course requirements and due dates. • Provide specific criteria and examples for projects and assignments. • Give frequent and timely feedback so students can assess progress. • Consider building flexibility into your attendance policy.

7. Access to Course Materials and Resources • Adopt textbooks early to allow transcribing into Braille, e-text or taped texts. • Choose textbooks with online supplements and learning supports whenever possible. • Put materials on the Web early to allow students a head start. • Alert the Disability Resource Services office of any textbook changes.

8. Provide Information in Multiple Formats – Make Note-taking Easier • Handout materials in advance for preview or formatting. • Give copies of over heads, outlines, and lecture notes or • Post to a website in digital format for access by assistive technology. • Read aloud overheads or writing on the board. • Allow lectures to be recorded or post them in the library. • Use videos that are captioned. larger font size stronger contrast • Use and • on visuals (overheads and presentations).

9. Provide Advance Organizers and Summaries • Provide a preview of information and list important steps. • Summarize regularly, allowing for review and information processing. • Provide a brief introduction prior to new concepts, so students orient to new information.

10. Use Partners and Cooperative Learning Groups • Encourage students to form pairs or small study groups. • Consider ways to include students with disabilities in experiences. • Have classmates share reports with a student who could not participate. • Maximize any natural supports available at your institution.

11. Create a Welcoming Climate • Treat all students with respect and dignity. • Encourage any student struggling to master a topic to visit you during office hours. Use a Variety of Ways to Assess Knowledge • Allow students to do an oral presentation in lieu of an exam. • Allow the option of taking multiple choice or essay tests.

12. Be Aware of Support Systems Available • Identify service organizations on campus to refer students to for help: Information Technology Services103 Wing Technology Center785-8774 itssupport@uwlax.edu Disability Resource Services165 Murphy Library Resource Center785-6900 ability@uwlax.edu

13. Difficulties experienced by postsecondary students who are diagnosed with a disability may include: reading, organization, memory, listening, math, and written language.

14. Technology Available for Students with Disabilities: • word processors with spell checking • proofreaders • abbreviation expanders • outlining software programs • variable speech-control tape recorders • optical character recognition systems • listening aids • speech-synthesis/screen review systems • speech-recognition systems • data managers • talking calculators These devices can enhance the individual's abilities by circumventing deficits.

15. Purchasing and Training • Select technology designed for use by the general public. (Standard technology is usually less expensive and in many instances will better prepare the student for the workplace.) • Compatibility between new software or hardware that is already owned or being used.

16. Continued… • Once the appropriate technology has been selected: • provision for the training needs to be established • instruction in its use should include general strategies effective in teaching all students with disabilities. • Opportunity for further training as software is upgraded. • Funding for upgrades.

17. If the technology meets the needs of the individual in bypassing the deficit, has the ability to perform necessary functions, and is appropriate for use across settings, it should improve the functional capabilities of the individual with disabilities, providing the equal access to education as stated in Section 504.

18. Universal Access to Information Technology Resources • University of Wisconsin-La CrosseWeb Accessibility PolicyJuly 2003 • Web Site Development Requirements, Tips and Tricks • http://www.uwlax.edu/webinfo/ • Accessibility • http://www.uwlax.edu/policies/accessibility.html

19. There is for universal design in education. It is to designing and creating materials, processes, spaces, and practices that and needs possible. More than that, it is to no absolute formula an approach embrace the widest range of abilities a commitment accessibility. By seeking out materials and approaches that have used a, and by using in day-to-day practice, teachers will help more students they need from the general education curriculum and beyond. – The Access Center universal design approach universal design concepts access the knowledge and skills

20. Resources: Disability Resource Services Web Pages http://www.uwlax.edu/drs CAST Universal Design for Learning http://www.cast.org/udl/UniversalDesignforLearning361.cfm Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education http://www.aace.org/pubs/ Educational Technology Review http://www.aace.org/pubs/etr/issue4/index.cfm Universal Design: Making Education Accessible to All Learners http://www.tipsnews.org/newsletter/01-04-05/universal_design.html Trace Center http://www.tracecenter.org/

21. UW-La Crosse Web Accessibility Making our World Wide Web Available for All Janice Ward ITS Support Manager

22. Creating the Policy • Group with faculty, staff and administrative representatives met to create recommended policy, suggest tools and processes. • Policy was then taken to Provost and Provost’s Council for discussion and review. • Policy was endorsed by council and forwarded to Chancellor and final approval was granted in May 2003.

23. When web sites should be accessible (Jan. 1, 2004) Each division must be responsible for monitoring and fixing their own web sites Tool recommended is AccVerify from HiSoftware (campus license available) Requires compliance with all Section 508 guidelines Adds one requirement for each page to contain UW-L contact information: full-time staff member or staffed number in unit The Policy States… http://www.uwlax.edu/policies/accessibility.html

24. Why Section 508 Standards? • More objective set of criteria • Easier to understand than W3C priority levels • Legal basis • Easier to meet yet still covers most needed fixes

25. Five Common Problems • Missing ALT Text: What happens if the pictures go away? • Frames: Stuck in a rut • JavaScript: Cute, fun, - OOPS! • Applet/plug-in links for posted items: I don’t have Microsoft Word! • Data Tables: What column is that in?

26. Most Common Problem – Missing ALT Text • All images, movies, clip art and other visual elements require alternative text so they can be understood by a screen reader or when graphics are turned off. • Estimated that nearly 80% of UW-L web page problems are from missing ALT text. • Extremely easy to fix!

27. Frames – Hard to Navigate • Frames are a technique of coding to display two or more web pages at the same time as a single page. • Navigation on left, title on top is a very common frames use. • Section 508 requires each frame has a title. • Reality is that frames are extremely hard to navigate and should be redesigned into tables.

28. JavaScript – Easy to find, hard to fix • Flying menus, changing buttons, moving “parts” to your web site are usually from JavaScript • Very easy to create with scripts on the web or created by FrontPage/Dreamweaver • If content doesn’t change, you’re OK. • If content does change, need <NOSCRIPT> item that provides the same content. (Flying menus)

29. Links to Download Applets/Plug-Ins • Where do I get Acrobat Reader? What if I don’t have Word? Flash??? • Any plug-in, document or other item on your site that requires another piece of software to be viewed must have a link to where that software can be downloaded. • Microsoft does provide free viewers for Word, Excel and PowerPoint. • Acrobat Reader download

30. Data Tables vs. Layout Tables • Layout tables are about looks (require nothing further by Section 508 guidelines) • Data tables display facts and figures • Data table row and column headings must have special coding to identify themselves

31. Resources for You • Web Accessibility Liaisons • Training – http://itssupport.uwlax.edu/training • Consultations and support after training • Web pages • UW-L guidelines • Full online tutorial of all Section 508 guidelines • Useful outside web sites • Campus License of Validation Tools

32. Web Accessibility Liaisons • Each College and Division has appointed a web accessibility liaison whom ITS works with to gain policy compliance. • Process is still young and suffers from lack of resources but we are gaining.

33. Training • 2 part class: • Web Accessibility Guidelines • AccVerify Tool • Training is required before individual consultation and support is available. • Custom classes for groups of 5 or more available – only cost to you is reproduction of materials. • http://itssupport.uwlax.edu/training • Custom classes: itstrain@uwlax.edu or ward.jani@uwlax.edu

34. Consultation and Support • Must complete training first • Individual desk-side consultation available: only thing we offer this service for! • ward.jani@uwlax.edu • 785-8774

35. Web Pages • http://itssupport.uwlax.edu/webaccess • Full online tutorial of Section 508 Guidelines • http://www.uwlax.edu/webinfo • UW-L Web guidelines and suggestions • http://www.webaim.org • One of the best sites for web accessibility information

36. Validation Tools • Campus site license for HiSoftware’s AccVerify • http://www.uwlax.edu/itssupport/accverify • http://www.hisoftware.com • Also use campus-wide monitoring tool from HiSoftware: AccMonitor • Provides weekly picture of where campus is at with web accessibility compliance (~48% compliant)

37. Things to Remember • Keep web pages simple and compliant to web accessibility – this means the materials you post on the web as well! • Add ALT text to images to solve nearly 80% of the problem • Make use of local and web-based resources • Spread the Word!