Abstract:

Universities are becoming increasingly responsible for addressing the accessibility needs of their diverse populations. In the United States, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Title II, and Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act compel colleges and university to provide equal and integrated access to higher education for students with disabilities. Students with visual, auditory, cognitive, social, and other forms of impairment pose varying opportunities and challenges for the design and delivery of transformative learning experiences. International standards such as the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) offer comprehensive and complex recommendations for modifying course materials and delivery to address a myriad of specific disabling conditions. However, even the most complex guidelines cannot address the infinite variations among learners with regards to needs and preferences.

This limitation poses an enormous hurdle for faculty who must make decisions about how to design courses and content, particularly when the technological competence of faculty may be insufficient to make recommended modifications, including those which are basic. As a result, there can be substantial resistance among faculty to even attempt efforts which might enhance accessibility. This presentation will discuss an innovative model for changing faculty culture and practices related to course content accessibility. Data on this two-year initiative will be presented along with key recommendations for future directions.

Keywords:

Accessibility, Higher Education, Faculty Culture.