CDAM0001 - Creating Digitally Accessible Materials: A Guided Asynchronous Course

Course Description

This two-week facilitated asynchronous course for instructors will provide all the information and tools necessary to make your courses accessible and inclusive to all students! In this course, you will explore the POUR framework (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust) and apply the digital accessibility guidelines required under Title II of the ADA to the content you use every day. We’ll cover the foundations of accessibility, then dive into the particular accessibility requirements of a wide range of course materials, from documents to videos, with opportunities for you to work on your own course materials. Participants will leave the course with a deeper understanding of digital accessibility, the skills and knowledge needed to create and remediate digital content, and an accessibility action plan for updating their materials. Participants can expect to spend approximately five hours per week to complete the course.

Course Outline

This facilitated, two-week online course in Canvas introduces the principles and practices of digital accessibility, so you can create course materials that all students can access.

• Week 1: Build a foundation in what digital accessibility is and why it matters. Then apply the POUR principles (perceivable, operable, understandable, robust) to the materials you use most: Word documents, slide decks, and Canvas courses.
• Week 2: Extend those skills to PDFs and audio-visual media. Then reflect on your learning and create a Digital Accessibility Action Plan for your own courses.

Each of the seven modules that make up the course ends with a hands-on assignment, and you’ll have how-to guides, checklists, and a discussion space for questions and support throughout. Suggested due dates help you pace yourself, but you’re welcome to work at your own speed.

Learner Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will:

• Familiarize yourself with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1
• Apply methods for developing accessible digital materials for teaching and learning
• Proactively work towards a culture of inclusion in your courses

Testimonials

• What have past participants said about Creating Digitally Accessible Materials: A Guided Asynchronous Course?
• First of all, I have to say that one of the most significant things for me has been how incredibly well organized this course is, and what a great job everyone has done with the videos, guides, links to other resources, etc. It's really helped lower my anxiety about how huge and difficult increasing digital accessibility might be, and provided a clear and "obviously doable" pathway forward. That means so much to me-- THANK YOU!!! 
• Wow! I have learned so much! The summary documents have been very useful, and I will continue to use those in the future as I make my course more accessible.
• I feel more confident about making my courses accessible to all students and better appreciate the "why" behind making these changes is so important.
• The material has been extremely clear, well-organized, and useful.  I already feel much more prepared to begin making my courses more accessible for the spring semester.