I have attended dozens of presentations and workshops on disability in higher education. They have all been informative, addressing important topics regarding the student experience and how students with disabilities are significantly less likely to earn a university degree than students without disabilities. Many of the instructors who attend these events are eager, inclusion-minded individuals who firmly believe that disability should not prevent students from succeeding in higher education.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of instructors never receive any formal training on how to incorporate inclusive and accessible strategies into their classes. Further, many instructors are not given any protected, compensated time for course preparation. Therefore, any curricular adjustments to existing course materials have to be added on the instructor’s own time and without sufficient guidance. The current proposal will combine basic instruction on Universal Design for Learning, framed for instruction in higher education, and a supported working session for instructors to start adapting their own syllabi and course materials.
The beginning of the session will include a presentation on the basic tenets of UDL, using examples of how all types of students, including those with disabilities, can be impacted by inflexible teaching and assessment practices. Next, I will present a series of suggestions, in order of difficulty of implementations, for making courses more inclusive and accessible, using examples from my own syllabi and course materials, based on my work creating inclusive course practices and materials (Aspinwall & Shivers, in print). Then, as part of the question session, I will provide 30 minutes for attendees to work on their own course materials, while I roam around the room to answer questions and provide targeted feedback.
The working session is essential to this presentation. The types of strategies that may be easily implemented in a psychology seminar course may not be equally as feasible for a physics lab course. Therefore, it is necessary to allow instructors to take their own time to figure out how UDL practices can fit with their learning goals. By providing targeted, supported working time, I will not only encourage the instructors to make changes while the information is fresh in their mind but provide an opportunity for them to ask questions specific to their courses, as well as potentially brainstorm with other attendees.
The strategies covered will include creating friendly and inclusive syllabus language, updating classroom rules and policies, adopting flexible attendance options, creating multimedia course materials, and developing inclusive assessment practices, such as flexible deadlines and student-choice assignments.
Making these kind of radical accessibility updates requires time and effort, both in planning and in course management. One session is not enough to fully adopt UDL principles. However, by providing instruction and supported work time, I believe that the proposed session will allow instructors to make and implement meaningful changes to their courses to better support and include disabled students.
Aspinwall, L.G, & Shivers, C.M. (in print). Teaching anti-ableism: A practical guide to creating friendly and flexible courses without compromising rigor. In C.A. Sanderson & R. Totton (Eds.), Teaching social psychology. Edward Elgar Publishing, Ltd