Accessible online courses expand opportunities to people with disabilities as well as improve the experience for all types of learners. This article introduces policies and federal compliance requirements that guide our efforts at Boise State University eCampus.
Accessibility
Federal law requires that academic institutions provide accommodation for students of differing abilities, and this includes online courses. Boise State Policy #1075 Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability states "Faculty members are responsible for ensuring that the selection and/or development of their course tools and materials are fully accessible for individuals with disabilities." Please review the policy for additional details. eCampus staff and others on campus are available to assist, but ownership remains with faculty. The bottom line: Online course content must be accessible, and accessibility must result in an educational experience that is equitable to that of students without disabilities.
Why is it important to create accessible course materials before the course is taught?
Creating or locating accessible content, activities, and assessments during course design and development is much easier than retrofitting a course later. A recent clarification from the Office for Civil Rights interpretation states that a university violates its obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when it responds only on an ad-hoc basis to individual requests for accommodation. In recent years, a growing number of universities have been the subject of federal complaints or lawsuits over ADA compliance.
Making your course accessible is the right thing to do. It also makes course materials more usable for everyone. While the Educational Access Center (EAC) is available to assist students with accommodations, converting materials to an accessible format is very time consuming and often the student never really catches up.
Related Information
20 Tips for Teaching an Accessible Online Course from the DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Center
ADA Compliance for Online Course Design - by Sheryl Burgstahler for EDUCAUSE Review
Boise State Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability (Policy #1075 ) - by Boise State University
Resolution Agreements and Lawsuits - Summaries of legal action related to the inaccessibility of information technology in Higher Education, by the University of Washington
Faculty page - Educational Access Center - Overview of the accommodation process, by Boise State University
Rights and Responsibilities - Educational Access Center - Expectations for the university, Educational Access Center, students, and faculty, by Boise State University
