As I’ve been chewing on this week, here is the latest iteration of the lead paragraphs for an upcoming proposal related to accessibility:
Accessibility is a top concern for educational professionals. In a recent survey by EDUCAUSE Learning Initiatives, the 1,400+ respondents placed Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning (e.g., “implementing effective practices and course designs that are accessible by everyone”) in the top five issues and opportunities in postsecondary teaching and learning for 2019.
However, Rieber and Estes (2017) noted a dearth of coverage related to people with disabilities in their recent review of all 690 articles published in Educational Technology Research & Development (ETR&D) through 2013. While a growing body of research associated with universal design (UD) educational models to support accessibility has developed outside of the educational technology field, reviews of research suggest it’s in a nascent stage with few empirically-based articles to support the effectiveness of theorized UD practices and frameworks to support learning outcomes (Edyburn, 2010; Rao, Ok & Bryant, 2014; Roberts, Park, Brown & Cook, 2011). Given this gap, Rieber and Estes (2017, p. 16) argue, “time has come to bring the best ideas from the instructional technology field to the design challenge of meeting all levels of accessibility.” This proposal is a response to this call.
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Edyburn, D. L. (2010). Would you recognize universal design for learning if you saw it? Ten propositions for new directions for the second decade of UDL. Learning Disability
Quarterly, 33(1), 33–41.
Rao, K., Ok, M. W., & Bryant, B. R. (2014). A review of research on universal design educational models. Remedial and Special Education, 35(3), 153–166. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932513518980
Rieber, L., & Estes, M. (2017). Accessibility and instructional technology: Reframing the
discussion. Journal of Applied Instructional Design, 6(1), 9–19. https://doi.org/10.28990/jaid2017.061001
Roberts, K. D., Park, H. J., Brown, S., & Cook, B. (2011). Universal design for instruction in
postsecondary education: A systematic review of empirically based articles. Journal of
Postsecondary Education and Disability, 24(1), 5–15.