Concurrent Sessions
Higher Education Access: A Universal Design Demonstration Project
Tue 2:10 – 2:55PM — Chestnut B
Ashley Watts, WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities
Sarah Jacobin, Center for Excellence in Disabilities
This presentation will highlight incorporating universal design for learning and assistive technology into higher education classrooms and laboratories at West Virginia University and its satellite campuses, WVU Institute of Technology and Potomac State College.
The presentation will use information and findings from this project to offer training opportunities in assistive technology, web technology and accessibility, professional development and technical assistance to WVU faculty and staff. Some of the methods that will be discussed include implementing universal design for learning, providing an online professional development course and onsite trainings, development of a Web Accessibility Board that will test and improve current websites, providing technical assistance via a toll- free hotline and onsite trainings to individuals who have questions about implementing universal design or including students with disabilities in higher education.
This session will investigate how implementing universal design methods and assistive technology in higher education may shift the idea of accommodating students with disabilities from a case-by-case basis to designing curriculum and incorporating technology that will be accessible to most students. We will also discuss the impact of these methods for distance learners and how to incorporate universal design and technology into distance learning curriculum.
The aim of the presentation is to create a new idea for developing curriculum. The project will encourage professionals to prepare universally designed courses from the beginning instead of fixing content after a student with a disability discloses that information. This approach may not only help students who have reported their disability to disability services, but may also help those students with hidden disabilities.
The presentation will address universal design, assistive technology, information technology and web accessibility. The presentation will feature a PowerPoint lecture on all points addressed above. Handouts providing information will be provided. Assistive Technology devices and web accessibility instructional materials will be demonstrated for the audience. Time will be allotted at the end of the presentation for comments, questions, and suggestions.
The Higher Education Access Project representative who will present the information has a background in teaching and assistive technology and is employed by the Center for Excellence in Disabilities at West Virginia University and is currently a staff member on the Higher Education Access Project.
Through this presentation, participants will learn concepts of universal design and assistive technology and methods of implementing universal design and assistive technology to ensure access to higher education. Participants will also learn methods of developing accessible websites for students with disabilities.
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