Why is accessibility so important in general, and particularly when thinking about course content?

Accessibility means making it possible for all students, regardless of physical or developmental impairment, to use all course materials and tools. A course is accessible to the degree that every student can get to, perceive, and navigate course content and assignments; submit assignments; and successfully use all course tools. Accessible design is often included under the larger umbrella of “universal design for learning,” because it considers all possible users. At Oregon State University, the Offices of Equal Opportunity & Access and Disability Access Services coordinate accommodations, concerns, and complaints regarding accessibility.

Accessibility of remote and blended courses is important because:

- A significant number of people have disabilities that can make it difficult for them to take a course with virtual components. According to 2010 U.S. Census estimates, almost one in five people have some kind of disability. Over half of these have a severe disability.

- - 2010 Census report on disabilities
  - Press release about disabilities numbers in 2010 census

- Accessibility is required by law. Federal law requires universities to make courses accessible.

- - "Accessibility Suffers During Pandemic" (2020)

- Accessibility features benefit many students, not just those with documented disabilities. Just as physical accessibility measures have made life easier for many people not categorized as disabled (e.g., ramps assist people with carts, strollers, knee injuries, etc.), many of the accessibility features in online courses help a wide range of students. This "universal design" approach helps to welcome and include as many learners as possible upfront.

What challenges do people with disabilities face working in remote and blended courses?

There are four major categories of disability, and each type has different types of problems accessing online courses. These disabilities can be permanent or temporary, and may result from genetics, disease, injury, or age-related changes.

Visual
Auditory
Cognitive
Motor

Visual disabilities include blindness, low vision, and color blindness. Individuals with visual disabilities may:

- need to use a screen reader and the keyboard to access what's on a computer
- not be able to use a mouse
- not be able to tell one color from another
- need to enlarge text and illustrations in order to see them

The following video (Smith, 2012) demonstrates how people with disabilities access online courses. (Watch from the 2-minute mark until the 8:28 mark.)

Transcript - Keeping Web Accessibility in Mind

Auditory disabilities include partial and complete deafness. Individuals with hearing loss may not be able to hear the audio in podcasts, voice-over PowerPoints, videos, and other online media.

Cognitive disabilities include learning disabilities and other disorders that make individuals especially distractible or unable to focus on, process, or remember information. Individuals with cognitive disabilities may:

have trouble reading text or interpreting illustrations.
need to use a screen reader to help them understand text.
be confused by complex layouts or navigation schemes.
have trouble focusing on or comprehending lengthy sections of text, audio, or video.

Motor disabilities include paralysis and limited fine or gross motor control. Individuals with motor disabilities may:

not be able to access content that requires a mouse.
need to use assistive technologies like head wands and voice-recognition software to access a course.
have slow response time.
become easily fatigued by movements that wouldn’t be tiring for most people.

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