for Online Courses

Universal Design Office of Learning

and Technology

When creating your online course do not forget to make your

course accessible to all types of students.

1/12 males are affected with color blindness to some

degree

A basic design principle is to design in black and white

and add color for emphasis

The biggest problem is the inability to process more

than one color at a time.Therefore, keep it simple. Too many colors strain and confuse the eye.

Color blind students

These are examples of what not to do

WELCOME

Don’t use low

contrast colors

Include closed captioning on videos or written scripts

Provide graphics or picture examples along with text

Avoid overuse of difficult vocabulary

Cut down wordiness

For quizzes or tests allow extra time for comprehension

For the hard of hearing

Although online visually impaired students are less

common, as a teacher you need to be prepared

Include as much audio assistance as you canLecturesVideos with audioAudio interviewsAudio books

For visually impaired students

Research is the key to helping your studentsLearn more about the disability

Knowledge is power!

There are thousands of resources out there to help

with planning an online course for those with disabilities

Don’t do this aloneSoftware is available to help make your job

easierOrganizations for the disabledWebsites can check your accessibility

Quick Tips

http://www.pnc.edu/s3/DSS.htm

Helpful web linksfor universal web design

http://www.pnc.edu/s3/DSS.htm

http://www.lighthouse.org/

http://trace.wisc.edu/world/web/

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9610.html

http://www.disabled-world.com/disability/accessibility/websitedesign/

(2011, J. Hyatt)