Source: Andrea Blair, 785-532-6441, andreab@k-state.edu
http://www.k-state.edu/dss/k-access
News release prepared by: Jessica Grant, 785-532-6415, jgrant@k-state.edu
Monday, Oct. 22, 2007
K-STATE A MODEL FOR COURSE ACCESSIBILITY
MANHATTAN -- Andrea Blair wants all students at Kansas State University to have equal educational opportunities.
While this could be said about most K-State faculty, Blair, the director of the university's disability support services, has been making it easier for faculty to comply with K-State's new course accessibility standards policy through some online help at http://www.k-state.edu/dss/k-access
The Web site provides information for instructors on how to make course content accessible and how to accommodate different disabilities and learning styles.
"Disability support services has partnered with K-State's Information Technology Assistance Center and office of mediated education to provide guidelines, training and tips faculty may need to design and develop accessible courses," Blair said.
Federal law requires that all universities provide equal educational opportunities for all students, including students with disabilities. The Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education has said that e-learning, or distance learning, must be designed and delivered in a way that all students, including those with disabilities, have equal access to course content.
In June, the K-State Faculty Senate approved a course accessibility standards policy that provides guidance for ensuring that all courses -- and the technology related to those courses -- are accessible to students with disabilities. The policy applies to all faculty and staff developing courses or course management systems for K-State or affiliates. The policy refers to new courses, new materials added to existing courses and the retrofitting of existing courses. In addition, third-party software or video that is used in a course must be accessible.
"With the growth in the development of adaptive technology, individuals with disabilities can access more information than they ever could before," Blair said.
Making course material accessible could entail a variety of applications. For instance, if an instructor is using a PowerPoint presentation that includes an inserted image, a text description of the image must be included. The text description would allow someone who is visually impaired to hear text describing the image via screen-reading software. Or, if an instructor planned to use a video in a class, the video should offer closed-captioning as an option.
Additionally, K-State and disability support services are encouraging instructors to include a statement in each class syllabus that says: "Any student with a disability that needs a classroom accommodation, access to technology or other assistance in this course should contact disability support services and/or their instructor."
These initiatives are particularly important with so many students enrolling in online distance education courses where course content is delivered using technology, said Blair, whose office works with around 500 K-State students from all colleges.
"That K-State is taking a real lead on these issues says a lot about the university," Blair said. "Not only are we following the law, but we are taking steps toward building a more ethical and moral society for all. Other universities are already calling us and asking us for advice on how to set up their programs."