Making materials and courses accessible improves the experience for everyone.

What is Accessibility?

What is the difference between accessibility and accommodations?

“Accessibility 

is what we should expect to be ready for us without asking or planning ahead. It can be provided by following an easy to implement set of standards and practices that make "adaptation" unnecessary. We can benefit from accessibility without announcing or explaining our disabilities.

Accommodation 

is for adaptations that can't be anticipated or standardized. They are different for each individual. Although we should expect there to be a general willingness to accommodate us wherever we go, we can't expect actual, specific accommodations unless and until we ask for them. We do have to announce, and may have to explain our disabilities a bit in order to get accommodations.

Accessibility is the baseline of equal service, and accommodation is the second step to take when accessibility alone isn't enough.”

Apulrang. “Disability Thinking: Accessibility vs. Accommodation.” Disability Thinking, 17 Aug. 2013, http://disabilitythinking.blogspot.com/2013/08/accessibility-and-accommodation.html.

To make your materials more accessible, explore the Accessibility and Accommodations resources on the Virtual Institute on Remote Teaching and Learning (VIRTL) website. 

Accommodations

Accessibility and DIsability Resources works with students who have documented disabilities. They can provide tools and support to meet accommodation needs.

Accessibility is not just a legal obligation. It is also our equality, access, inclusive, and social justice obligation.