My name is Francisco and I'm an instructor in architecture and environmental design. The university where I teach developed a new outdoor courtyard and community space. The planning committee looked for design suggestions that incorporate universal design principles and create a space that is inviting to all students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
Some postsecondary institutions that promote the development and use of accessible websites on their campuses have institutionalized professional development for their faculty and staff. Reviewing what others have done can help campuses replicate successful practices.
Standard print textbooks are often not accessible to students with disabilities. A number of disabilities—such as blindness, low vision, learning disabilities, or mobility impairments—may make standard print very difficult or completely impossible to read. In such cases, the transformation of print textbooks into alternate formats is often necessary. Common alternate formats include Braille, large print, audio, or electronic text.
The U.S. Department of Justice's Guide to Disability Rights Laws lists and summarizes the content of key federal legislation to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities. It includes information about the Americans with Disabilities Act, Telecommunications Act, Fair Housing Act, Air Carrier Access Act, National Voter Registration Act, Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Rehabilitation Act, and Architectural Barriers Act. It also includes links to additional resources.
The civil rights of people with disabilities were not specifically addressed in federal legislation until 1973 with the passing of the Rehabilitation Act.
When designing web pages it is important to keep in mind the diversity of skills and abilities of the people who may visit the site. If a website will appeal to a broad audience that includes individuals with cognitive disabilities, then the website should be designed with those individuals in mind. Features that make websites easy to comprehend and navigate for everyone are often the most helpful for people with cognitive disabilities.
Basic strategies for making web pages accessible to individuals with cognitive disabilities include those listed below.
DAISY, which stands for Digital Accessible Information System, is a standard markup language used in creating accessible digital talking books. The standard allows users with print disabilities to efficiently navigate and access book content.
DAISY stands for Digital Accessible Information System. The DAISY/NISO Standard is the Digital Talking Book (DTB) specification for accessible digital textbooks. It is a multimedia standard that supports traditional presentation of images and text, as well as audio, content navigation, video, and animation. The DAISY specification is based on an application of Extensible Markup Language (XML) and is formally known as ANSI/NISO Z39.86 Specifications for the Digital Talking Book.
In 2003, several undergraduate students taking a class in disability studies at the University of Washington in Seattle discovered that there wasn't a strong student group on campus working to advocate for students with disabilities. The students thought that members of this campus community should have a stronger voice in promoting accessibility and diversity on campus. So, as a class project, they decided to form such a student organization to promote accessibility and disability activism on their campus.
Since each student's accommodation needs are unique and the student is often most knowledgeable about effective accommodations, be sure to talk with the student about what accommodations they might need.
Some specific accommodations that might be useful to a student with a health impairment in a science lab include the following: