Scheduled at 1:45 pm in Denver 1-3 on Wednesday, November 13.
#39446Speaker(s)
- Em Kribs, Manager of Academic Accommodations and Accessibility, Wichita State University
Session Details
- Length of Session: 1-hr
- Format: Lecture
- Expertise Level: Beginner
- Type of session: General Conference
Summary
Braille materials are an essential tool for ensuring students with visual impairments have access to the same materials at the same time as their classmates. However, using third-party vendors can result in delayed materials and slow response times when something unexpected inevitably occurs. Wichita State University has created its own on-campus braille department, and this session will cover how your university can as well.
Abstract
Braille materials are key for ensuring accessibility for students with visual impairments. While the primary alternatives, screen readers and other auditory tools, certainly have their uses, they do not create materials equivalent to those available to students without visual impairments.
However, when purchased from a third-party vendor, braille has its downsides as well. Braille is expensive and time-consuming. Your vendor of choice may not be located anywhere near your campus. Your vendor is probably not in direct contact with the student or the instructors, and is also probably a bit rusty when it comes to Riemannian manifolds, musical notation, kanji, or any number of class subjects your students might take. Instructors may struggle to send materials ahead of time, or the whole process may bottleneck because a single person took a personal day.
Wichita State University has experienced all of this and more, which is why we have created an on-campus department for converting course materials to braille. This allows for direct communication with instructors and students, improved content, faster corrections, and reduced wait time. What's more, producing your own braille is more affordable and accessible than you may realize.
This presentation will explain in greater detail the benefits of in-house braille, the process of building your own on-campus braille department, and the costs (and savings) both up front and over time.
Keypoints
- Braille is essential for students with visual impairments and cannot be substituted with auditory information.
- Using third-party braille vendors requires more steps and more people, which can result in delayed materials.
- Creating your own braille on campus is fast, affordable, and results in more equitable materials.
Disability Areas
Vision
Topic Areas
Alternate Format, Uncategorized
Speaker Bio(s)
Em Kribs
Em Kribs is the manager for Academic Accommodations and Accessibility, which primarily involves adapting course materials for students with visual impairments. She holds a master's degree in communication from Wichita State University, and a bachelor's degree in languages, literatures, and cultures from Colorado State University.