The importance of Accessibility
There are some very good reasons for making your learning resources accessible to everyone:
- Good accessibility improves usability for everyone.
- It's the right thing to do: Every VCC student has a right to expect equality of access to the educational resources we offer.
- It's the law, or it will be soon (link opens in a new window): Both the Federal and Provincial governments are in the process of putting into place legislation that will impact the way VCC delivers learning materials, ensuring that everyone has equality of access.
Disability, whether visible or not, affects a surprising number of people.
Inaccessible online resources are a further barrier - one we can avoid.
Accessibility, Usability, and UDL are connected
Accessibility and usability are related to each other:
- Accessibility makes your course usable by people of all abilities.
- Usability makes it easy for your learners to accomplish their goals.
Universal Design for Learning is a proven methodology that applies neuroscience and education research to the design of usable learning environments.
The principles of UDL aim to:
- provide multiple means of representation;
- provide multiple means of action and expression; and
- provide multiple means of engagement
These focus on the cognitive functions essential to the learning process. By using UDL principles as a framework for course design and development, it's believed that these cognitive functions can be engaged in building understanding.
Training and support
Courses from CTLR and Brickfield Labs
- Creating Accessible Learning Resources (CTLR, link opens in a new window)
This 1-2 hour mini-course helps you learn practical ways to create accessible learning resources in Moodle, and using applications to create downloadable files.
- Universal Design for Learning in Online Education (CTLR, link opens in a new window)
This 1 hour mini-course helps you understand and apply Universal Design principles in the design, development, delivery, and evaluation of online courses.
- Brickfield "Introduction to Accessibility" course (Brickfield Education Labs, link opens in a new window)
This extensive self-paced course covers accessibility foundations, as well as best practices for accessibility for the web, rich media, and online documents.
Other Resources