Text and materials universal design

• In Event: Development of open educational resources: a sustainability model for literacy in bilingual environments

Proposal

USAID education projects in Guatemala, Lifelong Learning (2014-2019) and Education Reform in the Classroom (2009-2014) have developed and published a series of textbooks and materials for the teaching and learning of literacy in maternal Mayan languages and Spanish in the early grades. This work includes the design of these materials aimed at an audience known as the educational community: teachers, principals, parents and students.
Among the materials developed are big books, flipcharts, anthologies, long and short stories, text books and audiobooks. Audiotexts and digital books are currently under development. Availability of most of these type or resources is scares and had a limited use in the educational system of the country, especially in public schools. Universal design concepts and its 7 principles were applied to these materials, a recent concept developed by the University of North Carolina in 1997 (CEUD, 2014).
All the illustrations materials and textbooks made by USAID projects, include an ethnic representation of all the groups or peoples of the country, including children and adults with physical disabilities. This approach matches with the first Universal Design principle: “Equitable Use” focusses on “avoid segregating or stigmatizing any users, and “provide the same means of use for all users and make the design appealing to all users” (CEUD, 2014), among others. This topic is very important in a country like Guatemala, with a diversity of ethnic, cultural and languages groups.
Also, the tools and materials make a hierarchy between different texts and images, highlighting with adequate typography the different information structures for users. This fits with the “Perceptible Information” Universal Design principle which indicates that it should be: “provide adequate contrast between essential information and its surroundings” and “maximize ‘legibility’ of essential information”.
In 2017 USAID Lifelong Learning Project began to produce audiobooks to help children to pronounce in correct way the sounds of some of the main Guatemalan languages: Spanish, K’iche’ and Mam. These tools also help children with blindness problems. In this sense the audiobooks also harmonize with other “Perceptible Information” concept focused that the designs of different pieces of communication should “provide compatibility with a variety of techniques or devices used by people with sensory limitations”.
Finally, the Big Books and Flipcharts are made in large format so that they can be seen and read by a group of children from a distance in the classroom. They are also made with resistant materials so that they can withstand more time to be handled by young children. This format complies with the “Size and Space for Approach and Use” principle that says the designs: “provides a clear line of sight to important elements for any seated or standing user” (CEUD,2014).
It is important to indicate that the contents of the materials have a gender equity focus, avoiding a sexist language and placing female and male characters in roles that supposedly should only be performed for a given sex.
After its distribution and use, focus groups have been made with the audience asking, among other things, about its usability in the classroom and in other contexts, such as in the homes of teachers, as well as font sizes in the contents. With the responses of these focus groups, these materials have been designed in a better way, especially the use of flipcharts.

Author

• Antonio Arreaga, Juarez & Associates