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Leveraging UDL Options for Accessible Course Design

Handouts

Presented at 4:15 pm in Colorado I-J on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.

#39827

Speaker(s)

  • Sonya Woods, Digital Accessibility Manager, Penn State

Session Details

  • Length of Session: 1-hr
  • Format: Lecture
  • Expertise Level: Beginner
  • Type of session: General Conference

Summary

In this session, we’ll delve into real-world examples, best practices, and practical strategies for seamlessly integrating UDL options into course design. By doing so, we aim to minimize the need for special accommodations and empower both students and instructors in an inclusive learning environment.

Abstract

Are you interested in Universal Design for Learning (UDL)? Do you want to create accessible course content? Have you ever wondered how these concepts intersect or differ? For the past decade, I have been an accessibility practitioner and a UDL advocate, co-authoring and facilitating courses on accessible practice and UDL. In my day-to-day work I collaborate with course designers to integrate accessibility into online courses, empowering student success.

A persistent question I encounter is: “What can be done in course design (before the course even opens) to set instructors and students up for success and reduce the need for special accommodations?”

A key ingredient of UDL is providing options, but it’s crucial to understand that in practice, less is more. Too many options or the wrong options can create new barriers and be counterproductive. This presentation will use real-world examples to illustrate best practices for implementing options that empower both students and instructors. The goal is to enhance success and minimize the need for visits to the Student Disability Resources office.

Join this session to explore practical strategies for designing accessible courses that support all learners through a thoughtful use of options in course materials, courseware, assignment deliverables, and student-instructor interactions. Discover how a thoughtful use of options can preemptively address accessibility needs, avoid common UDL pitfalls, and foster an inclusive learning environment from the outset.

Keypoints

  1. Thoughtful use of options in course design can preemptively address accessibility needs.
  2. Misapplying UDL principles by providing too many options or the wrong options can create new barriers.
  3. I have collected many great real world examples to help people use UDL options effectively.

Disability Areas

All Areas

Topic Areas

Accessible Course Design, Faculty Development & Support, Uncategorized

Speaker Bio(s)

Sonya Woods

Sonya Woods has served as an accessibility consultant for Penn State World Campus since 2013 and currently manages the World Campus Accessibility Team. For over a decade, she has developed a broad range of accessibility training materials, including self?paced online courses, technical documentation, and in?person and webinar-based trainings. A Penn State alumna with a master’s degree in Workforce Education, Sonya is passionate about providing effective training resources to World Campus staff. She founded and serves on the leadership team of the Accessibility Users Group and is CPACC?certified through IAAP.

Handout(s)