for presentation at FUSION 2009, D2L User Conference, in St. Paul, MN

1. Creating Accessible Course Content Presented by: Kyle Mackie and Sandra Earl

2. Creating Accessible Course Content Guiding statements Instructional practices should focus on helping students learn; they should not be limited by the learning environment the material is delivered in. Accessible Learning Management Systems allow users to access and interpret learning material using technologies suited to their particular needs. Accessible Learning Management Systems support the creation of diverse, accessible learning materials and learning paths.

3. Creating Accessible Course Content Accessibility at Desire2Learn Desire2Learn is dedicated to developing standards-compliant, accessible learning products that improve learning opportunities for all students. We build accessibility into all areas of our design lifecycle, including: design, development and testing. We seek feedback and guidance from client experts through the Desire2Learn Accessibility Interest Group. We publish our compliance with leading standards, including the WCAG 2.0 guidelines and Section 508 VPAT, on our corporate website and have our clients verify our claims. http://www.desire2learn.com/products/accessibility

4. Creating Accessible Course Content Tips and tricks for accessible course content Open Communication Online courses can be challenging for students with physical or learning disabilities as they can feel disconnected from their instructor, and learning materials can be hidden across many tools. Use your Course Home page to introduce yourself and to encourage students to contact you if they need assistance. Provide an explanation of your course, including where to find course materials and assignment deadlines.

5. Creating Accessible Course Content Tips and tricks for accessible course content Redundancy One of the easiest ways to improve learning outcomes is to build clarity and redundancy into your lesson plans. Create a detailed course syllabus that links directly to relevant readings, assignments, and examinations. Reiterate the syllabus in the Schedule and Checklist tools. Provide the same information in multiple formats. For example, provide readings, podcasts, videos, etc. on the same topic.

8. Provide alternative text (descriptions) for images

9. Properly tag headings

10. Use contextual links