Accessibility

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued new rules on accessibility guidelines for accessible web content from public institutions. Released in April 2024, the new regulation requires “state and local governments to make their websites and mobile applications accessible for people with disabilities.” These rules encompass all public colleges and universities. 

The deadline for meeting these requirements is determined by the population of the geographic area that your public entity serves. Note that for colleges, it is NOT your enrollment, but the number of people living in the state or district you serve. So, the official geographic region from which the institution draws its students. The compliance deadline is:

• 50,000 or more people:  April 24, 2026,
• Fewer than 50,000 people:  April 24, 2027.

Accessibility is essential not just for people with accommodations but for everyone because it creates a more inclusive, efficient, and user-friendly environment. When your course content and media are designed with accessibility in mind, they become easier to navigate and use for all individuals, regardless of their abilities. Features like captions on videos benefit not only those who are deaf or hard of hearing but also people in noisy environments or those learning a new language. In digital spaces, clear layouts, readable fonts, and voice controls enhance usability for a broader audience, including older adults and those with temporary injuries. Prioritizing accessibility leads to better experiences, increased engagement, and a more equitable society where everyone can participate fully.

Alt text for images, searchable PDFs, formatting documents with the Styles tool, appropriate contrast between text and the background, and captions/transcripts are ways to improve accessibility for all of your students. 

Anthology’s accessibility tool Ally is built into our Canvas instance. This quick accessibility checklist will help you work towards ensuring your course materials are accessible for all students. 

All content and functions of websites and media that you are using after the implementation deadline will need to meet the specific accessible standards. This encompasses everything online. It will affect students, faculty, and staff. A few examples of what needs to be accessible include (but are not limited to):

• all content of online courses
• digital content for in-person courses
• library content and searches
• third-party tutoring services
• content from publishers
• educational software
• student-submitted content if others are expected to use or review it (peer reviews).

What this means is pretty much everything that is online will need to follow the guidelines. There are a few exemptions, but they are very narrow and specific. For specific details ADA.gov provides a helpful fact sheet.

To help faculty navigate these requirements, the following resources have been curated:

• Improve accessibility in your documents using the accessibility checker. 
• Making tables accessible 
• Authoring Meaningful Alternative Text 
• Write helpful Alt Text to describe images
• Upload and manage captions (Kaltura)
• Managing automated captions (Zoom)
• Make your Word documents accessible to people with disabilities
• Understanding the need for contrast between text and the background
• Contrast checker tool 

Please contact Waubonsee’s Disability Resource Center if you have questions about student accommodations. 

Disability Resource Center

Sugar Grove Campus

Student Center, Room 201

(630) 466-2564

(630) 405-6110 Video Phone

Fax: (630) 466-4649

accesscenter@waubonsee.edu

For questions or to schedule an Instructional Design consultation, please contact Jen Howard at jhoward@waubonsee.edu

Usability in instructional design refers to how easy and effective it is for learners to use and interact with educational materials, platforms, or environments. It's all about creating a user-friendly experience that enhances learning outcomes. Here are a few key aspects:

1. Accessibility: Ensuring that the instructional materials are accessible to all learners, including those with disabilities or different learning styles. This can involve using alternative formats, such as audio descriptions or text-to-speech options.
2. Navigation: Designing clear pathways for learners to navigate through content, modules, or lessons easily. Intuitive navigation reduces frustration and allows learners to focus more on the learning objectives.
3. Clarity and Simplicity: Presenting information in a clear and straightforward manner. This includes using plain language, avoiding jargon, and organizing content logically.
4. Interactivity: Incorporating interactive elements such as quizzes, simulations, or activities that engage learners actively in the learning process. This can improve retention and understanding of the material.
5. Feedback: Providing timely and constructive feedback to learners on their progress and performance. This helps them gauge their understanding and encourages continuous improvement.
6. Visual Design: Using effective visual elements such as layout, color schemes, and multimedia to enhance engagement and comprehension.

Overall, usability in instructional design aims to optimize the learning experience by focusing on learner needs, ease of use, and effectiveness of learning outcomes.

Faculty Development recommends faculty put their learning materials into weekly modules to make it easier for your students to navigate your course to  help reduce their cognitive load and allow them to focus on learning. Organizing learning materials into modules makes learning easier and more effective for several reasons:

1. Segment Information – Breaking content into smaller, digestible sections reduces cognitive overload. Learners can focus on one concept at a time, making retention easier.
2. Logical Flow – Modules allow information to be structured in a sequential, step-by-step manner, guiding learners from foundational concepts to more complex ideas.
3. Self-Paced Learning – Learners can progress at their own speed, revisiting specific modules as needed without feeling overwhelmed.
4. Better Engagement – Smaller, well-structured units help maintain learner attention, making the content feel more manageable and interactive.
5. Clear Objectives – Each module can have specific learning goals, making it easier for learners to understand what they are expected to achieve before moving to the next section.
6. Easier Assessment & Feedback – With modular learning, assessments can be placed at the end of each section, allowing learners to gauge their understanding before proceeding.
7. Flexibility – Modules allow instructors to update, replace, or expand content more easily without disrupting the entire course structure.

Overall, modular design makes learning more structured, accessible, and engaging, improving comprehension and retention.

Another tool to help you design your course in a learner centric manner, is the Universal Design for Learning Guideline (UDL). The UDL Guidelines serve as a practical tool for implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework developed by CAST to enhance teaching and learning for all individuals based on scientific research on how humans learn. The ultimate goal of UDL is to foster learner agency that is purposeful and reflective, resourceful and authentic, as well as strategic and action-oriented.