The Accessible Virtual Community

This posterette provides a summary of the "basics" to introduce Universal Design into your classroom. Examples are optimum classroom environment and verbally describing images.

This 13 minute video informs regarding Universal Design for Learning (UDL). "Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles and techniques for creating inclusive classroom instruction and accessible course materials." This web page also contains several UDL teaching resources and technical modules.

This website contains guidelines that are applicable to any accommodative testing. Per the authors, "The administration of any test that has been reproduced in Braille, large print, or audio format requires special attention by the test administrator or test proctor."

This website provides links to free downloads of the ANSI/ASA standard plus two manuals for architects. Volume 1 is a design manual while volume 2 outlines key acoustical issues in learning. "Acoustical performance is an important consideration in the design of classrooms. Research indicates that levels of background noise and reverberation, little noticed by adults, adversely affect learning environments for young children, who require optimal conditions for hearing and comprehension." There are also additional resource links provided.

This website provides information and technology for developing accessible online teaching. This website is provided by Center for Universal Design, N.C. State University; IDEA Center, University at Buffalo; Global Universal Design Educator's Network.

"This project is researching and documenting effective practices for providing meaningful descriptions of science content within Digital Talking Books that serve post-secondary students, professionals and scientists who have visual impairments or blindness. A particular focus is ways to describe non-text content, such as equations, charts, and diagrams." [Annotation from CATEA resource page]

"GRADE's mission is to improve the accessiblity of distance education through for students with disabilities throughout the nation by providing technical assistance, training and research. This website includes a tutorial, course design models, fact sheets, guidelines, and more.

This webpage, developed by the National Science Foundation and Design Science, is a company working with the accessibility community to make math fully accessible. They have compiled ten of the most frequently asked questions. A brief answer is provided, as well as links to comprehensive resources for those who would like to explore additional information.

The Institute for Broadening Participation (IBP) is a non-profit organization created to design and implement strategies to increase access to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education and careers for diverse underrepresented groups. IBP's Mission:

* Make education and careers in science more accessible to students - particularly to members of underrepresented groups

* Support faculty and administrators as they work to include students from a variety of backgrounds in their programs

* Foster an on-going exchange of ideas and resources between individuals and institutions who are working to navigate their future in the STEM fields

PEPNet provides resources and expertise that enhance educational opportunities for people who are deaf or hard of hearing--including those with co-occurring disabilities. PEPNet's national outreach is coordinated through its four regional centers. At the local level, each state's contact person is the gateway to the shared knowledge and best practices of the four regions. PEPNet regional centers work collaboratively to provide a broad variety of best practices & resources where and when you need them to enhance educational opportunities.

PEPNet offers consultation, training, professional development, cutting edge technical assistance and other resources to educational institutions, including-but not limited to:

Two- and Four-year Colleges

Universities

Secondary Education Programs

Community Rehabilitation Programs

Continuing Education Programs

Adult Basic Education Programs

Vocational and Technical Training Programs

While the SciTrain project is designed for high school teachers, the accommodations link here discusses barriers that occur irrespective of grade level. This website also includes the success stories of teachers and students with disabilities.

"The Teaching Every Student (TES) section of the CAST Web site supports educators in learning about and practicing Universal Design for Learning (UDL)." The website has a K-12 emphasis.

This document is provided as a guide for making tests accessible in tactile, large print, and audio formats. "The American Printing House for the Blind (APH)" is committed to ensuring that educational materials are accessible to students with visual impairments. It is anticipated that this guide will be used as a tool for implementing appropriate guidelines as test publishers, test developers, test editors, and state assessment personnel are developing and adapting tests and assessments."

Studies are grade-school based, but this site has multiple research reports, including: Using DIF Analyses to Examine the Effects of Testing Accommodations on Students' Responses to Test Items, Analysis of the Effects and Consequences of Testing Accommodations on Students' Achievement Scores, and Experimental Analysis of the Effects of Testing Accommodations on the Scores of Students with Disabilities.

This webpage provides good suggestions for making math and science accessible for all students.

The Faculty Ware website features a list of UDI (universal design of instruction) resources, a pdf version is also available for download.

"This web site supports the teaching and study of universal design. It also provides a place where educators can interact with each other. Our goal is to develop a community of learners who exchange information for the benefit of all."

The seven principles of product and environmental universal design (from The Center for Universal Design, North Carolina State University) are applied to education on this printable "CATS Fact Sheet". Please note that wording is adjusted to the education realm.

"In these terms, universal design means the development of curriculum, instructional materials and instruction to be accessible to and useable by students with different backgrounds and abilities. The key aspect of a universally designed curriculum is its in-built flexibility."

CATS (Creating Accessible Teaching & Support) is hosted by the University of Tasmania, and was funded by the Australian Government, Department of Education, Employment, & Workplace Relations and the Australian Learning and Teaching Council.

This pdf provides a brief history of the concept of Universal Design and concisely describes each of the seven principles of Universal Design and gives an example as well. It provides “examples of universal design applications in educational settings: physical spaces, information technology (IT), instruction, and student services.”

Provides checklists to assess the level of UD in distance learning for students, designers, faculty, and distance learning program evaluators.