Ensuring equitable access to NECC’s digital campus has been the goal of the Accessible Media Team at NECC for the past four years, and during this time, it has been part of the College’s Strategic Plan, mission, and vision. During this presentation, you will learn how working toward accessibility contributes to a leveled and inclusive learning environment and the importance of interdepartmental collaborations for ongoing sustainability. Creating accessible online learning environments with Accessible Universal Design, benefits all students, and proactively meets the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Come and learn how to make your course material accessible by implementing a few simple strategies.
================================================================= Offering courses online has greatly increased access to courses for many students, such as those who are living off-campus, working part time, or looking to gain a few credits over the winter or summer. Part of ensuring success for all our students is being able to ensure they have access to the materials they need. This can become particularly challenging when materials are not formatted in a way such that students are able to use them with their abilities. The staff at Westfield’s Banacos Center and Center for Instuctional Technology have continuously worked with faculty to make sure students receive the accommodations they need for their classes. Westfield has developed a plan to help educate its’ students, faculty and staff on what reasonable accommodations are and how those accommodations will be delivered. This presentation will also provide specific examples as to how to make materials accessible such as video captioning and ensuring public-facing faculty websites meet web-accessibility standards. Lastly we will discuss our successes and challenges we have had so far.
