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It can be tempting to think that going through the trouble of designing an accessible course will have little payoff. After all, maybe there isn't anyone in your course this semester who has requested accommodations. In fact, creating courses with accessibility in mind can help in multiple ways.

It will benefit you

Designing accessible courses can

Save you time

You never know when you will be asked to provide accommodations for one or more students in your class. If you design your course to be accessible, you can reduce or eliminate the need to make additional modifications to your course to meet those needs.

Make you a better instructor

Designing accessible courses pushes you to think about how other people perceive and process information. You can gain a deeper understanding of your own material by thinking about how the information can be applied and the different ways a student can show their understanding and meet the fundamental requirements of the course.

Cartoon of snow-covered ramp and steps leading to a landing and set of doors. Several children - including one in a wheelchair - are gathered at the base of the steps. A person is shoveling snow off of the steps.

Image text: Clearing a path for people with special needs clears the path for everyone!

It will benefit others

Designing accessible courses

Improves ease of use for all students, whether or not they require (or request) accommodations.

Not all students who would benefit from accessible instruction request accommodations. According to the 2020 EDUCAUSE Student Technology Report, nearly half of students with disabilities do not register with their institution's disability services office for support.

Eliminates the need for some students to request specific accommodations.

If you already provide captioned videos, deaf or hard-of-hearing students no longer have to make a specific request for that accommodation. If course readings are already accessible, students with print disabilities do not have to request special accommodations and wait for material to be made accessible to them. If your Canvas course includes built-in accessibility features (see Module 3: Content Pages for more information), students will have an easier time navigating your course and perceiving the information you are trying to convey.

It is required by law

It is an inescapable fact that courses at IC must be designed in a way that provides accessible instruction to students. Ithaca College must "provide appropriate academic adjustments as necessary to ensure that it does not discriminate on the basis of disability" (US Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights). If a course is not accessible, IC is required to make reasonable adjustments or modifications unless to do so would "fundamentally alter" the nature of the programs or result in an "undue burden." (Hint: it is VERY difficult to prove undue burden.)

Accessibility Laws

Accessibility Guidelines

WCAG 2.1 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)