Universal Design (UD) is a model that tries to reach every student. It is “the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.” UD goes beyond assuming a statement about the Office for Accessibility in a syllabus is “enough” for students. It provides options for students such as the option to write a paper or create a short video for their final project in any given class. It considers students at the margins of the educational system by providing Open Educational Resources over costly textbooks. Lastly, UD removes barriers rather than trying to “fix” the learner.
How can UD guide librarians? In this hands-on workshop from Derek Stadler, Web Services Librarian and Head of Media Services at LaGuardia Community College, participants will:
– Learn common accessibility obstacles and easy fixes that align library instruction, and library resources and services, with UD principles
– Contribute to developing an inclusive learning environment for students by using UD concepts and practices
– Ensure the materials used or developed in library resources and services are accessible.
We encourage you to bring documents that you use in your library instruction to work on during the session. If you do not have any, materials will be provided for you.
While attendance at Part 1 is not required, attendees are encouraged to catch up with the recording: Where