Ten Indicators of Distance Learning Program Accessibility to Students With Disabilities

摘要

Represented in most distance learning courses are a variety of racial/ethnic backgrounds, ages, native languages, and learning styles. In addition, students may have disabilities that include blindness, low vision, hearing impairments, mobility impairments, and learning disabilities. However, most distance learning programs only deal with accessibility issues when a student with a disability enrolls in a course; in other words, they provide accommodations. The process of making accessibility decisions while a distance learning course is being developed is an application of universal design (UD). Ap plying UDcanbeeasier and therefore less expensive than only quickly developing accommodation strategies each time a student with a disability that requires accommodation enrolls in a course.