3420 - Understanding Disability in the Classroom and Creating Accessible Courses (Sponsored by the Status Committee on Persons with Disabilities in Sociology)

Session Submission Type: Workshop

Description

Increasing numbers of students with disabilities are participating in higher education. In the 2011-2012 school year, 11% of undergraduate students reported having a disability (Department of Education 2017). For students with disabilities, college classrooms can present an array of challenges ranging from a lack of accessible desks to classroom materials and assignments that are inaccessible. Students with disabilities may also be reluctant to disclose their status to instructors because of prior stigmatizing experiences.

The proposed workshop will introduce attendees to the concept of disability and provide them with information and techniques that are necessary to ensure an accessible classroom. It will include an overview of different forms of disability including psychological, learning, visual, auditory and movement disabilities and autism. The workshop will also include a discussion of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other regulations that specify the responsibilities of educators within the university classroom.

The workshop will also introduce the principles of Universal Course Design and provide attendees with guidance on developing accessible course materials including lectures, exams, PowerPoint slides, and assignments. It will include a breakout section in which participants will work to develop strategies to improve accessibility and create a more welcoming classroom. As this is an introduction to a complex subject, participants will be provided with printed materials to supplement the workshop.

Sub Unit

• Workshops / Teaching Workshop

Session Organizer

• Deirdre D. Caputo-Levine, Idaho State University

Co-Leaders

• Allison C. Carey, Shippensburg University

• Robyn Lewis Brown, University of Kentucky

• Derek C. Coates, UC Berkeley

• Sharon N. Barnartt, Gallaudet University