More about accessibility

Old fashioned key with the word Access as its cuts

Why is accessibility important?

This video of discussion by university leaders from around the country highlights why accessibility in higher education is important.  The link page includes an accessible video (with captions and descriptions), downloadable transcript, and video download options.
Accessibility benefits almost everyone, not “just” people with disabilities.  This press release from Gartner neatly discusses the corporate advantages of accessibility.

How can we improve accessibility?

 As we design learning environments, whether those are physical or virtual, we need to consider the needs of as many people as possible, not just the “average” user.  This concept is known as Universal Design; The Faculty Room at University of Washington offers discussion and examples of UD in the higher education space.  Good design can help ensure that assistive technology (AT) functions appropriately as well.