Making Accessibility Accessible

For some of us, when the word “accessibility” is applied to teaching, the word can be, strangely enough, inaccessible!   If the facility and equipment that students with disabilities need is in place, the charge of “making the learning experience accessible” can be difficult to figure out.  Actually, definitions of “accessibility” give some help. Accessibility can mean, “easy to approach, reach, enter, speak with, or use”; or “obtainable; attainable.”  There is nothing particularly magical about those adjectives relative to our teaching. While we do not water down our content, we can and do find ways that are sufficiently “easy to approach” that all students can obtain it.  We can do this regularly, using principles of universal design.. Read more about making accessibility accessible

Recent/Upcoming Accessible Technology Events

2009:

• February 24: California Government and Higher Education Accessible Technology Summit, Sacramento
• February 26: “Meet the Expert” PDF Accessibility Webinar (archived online at http://my.adobe.acrobat.com/p45975793;)
• March 18: Express Help: Accessible PowerPoint (sign up at www.csus.edu/training)
• March 26: Adobe Acrobat: Creating Accessible PDFs (sign up at www.csus.edu/training)
• April 9: Preparing Accessible Instructional Materials Workshop for faculty, featuring Dr. Brett Christie of Sonoma State University.  Library LL Room 11, 12-1:30 pm. Pizza and refreshments provided (RSVP at cvera@csus.edu)
• April 15: Deadline established for selection of textbooks for Fall 2009 to  ensure sufficient time for conversion to alternate formats (e.g. Braille, electronic text, audio, etc.) should students with disabilities need them converted, and to help assure the best prices for the upcoming semester.
• April 17: Brown Bag: “Universal Design for Learning:  How Busy Instructors Can Increase Access and Participation in Learning for ALL Students (and Still “Have a Life”). “ Center for Teaching and Learning, Library Room 4026, 12-1:15 pm.
• April 21: Web Accessibility: For Content Editors  (sign up at www.csus.edu/training)

More on Accessibility

• CSU Accessible Technology Initiative Timelines
• Upcoming Accessible Technology Events
• Making "Accessibility" Accessible
• Is My E-Text Ready
• New Captioning and Transcription Service at Sac State
• Purchasing with part of an Order Being E&IT
• Employees Share Thoughts about ATI Requirements for IT Purchases
• Web Central
• Writing Good ALTernate Text for Web Pages
• Three Roles of Website Maintainers: Designers, Coders, Editors
• Express Help for Faculty to Create Accessible Instructional Materials
• Accessibility Quick Tips Checklist
• Annual ATI Reports
• Fast Facts Questions or Ideas?

Web Central

Have you ever wondered what internet browsers are the most popular? Or how to reduce the spam that gets submitted through your web forms? As a part of Web Services effort to provide resources the campus web community needs and wants, there is Web Central, a website with tricks, tips, templates and links to a variety of web resources... Read more about Web Central.

Is My E-Text Ready?

“Is my e-text ready?” is the common question the students with print disabilities have been timidly asking the Alternative Media Unit  in the Services to Students with Disabilities’ High Tech Center as they see the stacks of books lined up for digital conversion.   This Spring semester the Alternative Media Unit has received approximately 418 requests for alternative media (e-text, Braille, audio, large print) from over 94 students.   The numbers will continue to climb as new students are referred by their Services to Students with Disabilities counselors for this accommodation... Read more about E-texts.