Ensuring access means that a person with a disability must be afforded the same opportunities as a person without a disability to:
- Acquire the same information
- Engage in the same interactions
- Enjoy the same services
- Experience substantially equivalent ease of use
Accessibility is:
- the responsibility of all who create or publish digital content
- provided for all students, with no expectation of an explanation of need
- expected for disabilities that are easily anticipated
Sometimes a student may require certain adjustments or considerations in a course (such as an extended window for exams). This is known as an accommodation.
An accommodation is:
- provided based on the specific needs of a student with a documented disability
- determined by an accommodations officer on a case-by-case basis
- provided for students whose needs require great intervention, such as live American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters or lecture transcripts for live courses
- for circumstances that are difficult to anticipate and prepare for
Accessibility is proactive; an accommodation is reactive. Accommodations benefit one person at a time, but accessible practice can benefit everyone who interacts with your material. Accessible design saves you time and effort in the future while benefiting the largest number of people in the present. It also reduces institutional risk. When you make accessible choices now, you will be able to support accommodations more quickly, cheaply, and effectively in the future. This is in accordance with federal and state laws.
Benefits of Accessible Design