4.

Accessibility
Au d i t P ro c e s s
What is Accessibility?

• “Accessibility refers to the design of products,

devices, services, or environments for people
who experience disabilities. The concept of
accessible design and practice of accessible
development ensures both "direct access" (i.e.,
unassisted) and "indirect access.”

• Note: Accessibility is not the same as usability.

Usability is, “the extent to which a product (such
as a device, service, or environment) can be
used by specified users to achieve specified
goals with effectiveness, efficiency and
satisfaction in a specified context of use.”
Accessibility and Retention

• The National Center for Education Statistics found

that around 11% of college students identify as
having a disability.
• However, a 2011 survey by Roberts, Crittenden, and
Crittenden found that of those students with a
disability only 22% disclosed their disability and
sought out accommodations.
• In addition, a study done in 2000 by Harris &
Associates, found that only 12% of individuals with
disabilities who enrolled in higher education ending
up obtaining a degree.
Why Accessibility?

• Expand upon Quality Matters’ Standards

• Comply with Federal Laws
• Student-Centered Focus
• Shift to Social Model of Disability
Getting Started…

• The Accessibility Audit Pilot is a semester long

process and begins with reaching out to
enrolled instructors to invite them to meet.
• The first meeting serves as an
introduction/overview of the program.
• The first meeting also allows the team to
obtain access to the instructor’s online course
shell.
• The ID team then can begin making accessible
changes!
Action Registers

Once the ID team has access to the course, we use Action

Registers or Media Inventories to determine the media type,
location, and note any accessibility fixes that need to be made.
Action Register Example
Media Updates

• Once media issues have been identified, the ID

team goes through and makes the following
changes:

• Alt tags and title tags for images

• Updated URLs for broken links
• Transcripts for audio
• Captions for videos

• Consideration is given to copyright.

Content Updates

• Content is inventoried as well and all instructor

created materials are updated, including: Word
Documents, PowerPoints, Excel Spreadsheet,
and PDFs.
• When changes are complete, new content is
manually checked over as well as tested with
common assistive technologies.
Before and After Content Changes
Before After
Course Check Out

• At the end, the ID team places the updated

content and media into an accessible course
template. This template includes accessible
tables, text, banners, and links within our
learning management system.
• Then, a final review of the course is performed
collaboratively with the instructor by two check
out meetings, where final changes are made
and approved.
References

• Accessibility. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility
• Harris, L., & Associates, Inc. (2000). N.O.D./Harris
survey of Americans with disabilities. New York:
Author.
• Roberts, J. D., Crittenden, L.A., & Crittenden, J. C.
(2011). Students with disabilities and online learning:
A cross-institutional study of perceived satisfaction
with accessibility compliance and services. The
Internet and Higher Education, 14 (4), 242-250. doi:
10.1016/j.iheduc.2011.05.004
• U.S. Department of Education, National Center for
Education Statistics. (2016). Digest of Education
Statistics: 2015. Retrieved from
https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=60