Universal Design Newsletter
A message from Provost Hellenbrand
Provost Hellenbrand
We are happy to announce that Provost Hellenbrand is the new Executive Sponsor for the Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI). We are continuing to apply the principles of Universal Design in Education as a framework for designing curricula that enables all individuals to gain knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm for learning. The goal is to “design in” functionality, usability and interoperability into our communications and information exchange via technology.
Chancellor’s Office – Revision of Accessible Technology Initiative Coded Memo
The revised coded memo AA-2010-13 affirms the commitment to pursuing the use of technology that is accessible through universal design for the faculty, staff, students and the general public. The timeline and milestones within the ATI will be modified based on the data collection from the November 2010 ATI Campus Reports. The data collected will be used to identify system wide benchmarks. Publication of the 1st Baseline will be published in June 2011 and be revised every three years.
The table below outlines a timeline for collecting the baseline data for the ATI.
Data collection for creating a new timeline for the ATI process for 2010 – 2015
| Date (Starting June 2010) | Process | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| June 2010 | Publication of AY 09-10 Campus Report Framework. This framework will be updated at least every four years to keep it up-to-date. Updates will not be a major revision. The Campus Report Framework will be published annually, whether or not it has been updated. | Repeats annually |
| November 2010 | AY 09-10 Campus Reports Due; | Repeats annually |
| March 2011 | Publication of High Level Summary Analysis of Campus Reports and Detailed Version | Repeats annually |
| November, 2011 | Revised campus ATI plans are due, along with this year's annual report | One time only |
| June 2011 | Publication of 1st Baseline, followed by revised Baseline every three years thereafter. The deadline for system-wide implementation of Baseline goals will be established when the Baseline is published. Each new Baseline will be accompanied by a deadline for system-wide implementation. | Repeats in three years |
| June 2014 | Publication of the 2nd Baseline. | Repeats every three years |
CSUN Universal Design Campus Focus 2011-2012
Integrating Universal Design into Curriculum Planning
Develop and integrate accessibility requirements and planning into the academic curriculum review process for new course adoptions and existing course reviews. In conjunction with Deans, Chairs and appropriate governance committees we will identify areas were accessibility standards can be accomplished, and where individual accommodation is needed based on the limits of technology meeting compliance standards. In addition, gather best practices and solutions around online instructional materials that present barriers to students.
Data Collection of Accessibility Barriers in Software Applications
Collect data on barriers created by the use of noncompliance technology. Identify alternative accommodations and alternative assignments if appropriate. The use of an online survey and database is being piloted with Disability Resources and Educational Services. Based on the success of the pilot, we may expand the use of this tool to other offices.
Professional Development and Training
Training materials and professional online conferences have been offered from the Chancellor’s Office and other academic development resources, and are posted on the Universal Design webpage for CSUN and the Information Technology training calendar. We are working with the Chancellor’s Office and Information Technology to identify additional areas of needed training. Please feel free to contact Sandra Caesar, Universal Design Consultant, with ideas or needs you may have.
CSUN IT Training Collaboration
Collaborative training sessions with the Universal Design Team and Information Technology have been mutually informative and have led to incorporating accessibility standards into ongoing staff trainings. A concentration of infusing Universal Design techniques and principles into the existing network of technical support for campus faculty and staff, offers us the opportunity to design in accessibility and usability rather than react to the lack of it.
The Chancellor’s Office training events are on the IT training site. Please continue to refer to the IT Training Calendar.
Moodle Collaboration
Like most complex applications, Moodle has some elements with some level of inaccessibility. The Universal Design Team and Academic Technology are working together to address issues of accessibility in the current implementation of Moodle on campus. At times this means a student will need accommodation from Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES), while the issues are brought to the attention of the Moodle Consortium and Moodlerooms. We encourage faculty to let students know as early as possible that they will be using Moodle for their class, so the student can plan ahead with DRES any accommodations they may need.
Project Highlights
Student Affairs
- Collaborative Student Affairs Application Testing for Section 508 Compliance
- Student Affairs and the Career Center staff consultations for Section 508 Compliance application testing. The Universal Design Team, including Paraprofessionals, have consulted to create business processes that include accessibility and usability standards.
- Research and provision of best practices for accessible dynamic coding.
Academic:
- Creation of the Faculty Webpage Genereator (Pilot)
The Faculty Web Page Generator is in the pilot phase of development. If you interested in testing this new service, please contact Sandra Caesar, Universal Design Consultant, at Sandra.Caesar@csun.edu.
By using this web form you may quickly create a faculty web page including information about yourself, the courses you teach and announcements. You can use this web site as a starting point, or home-page, to direct students to your course syllabus or Moodle page.
Firefox is the recommended browser to use.
- Creation of Web Pages for Academic Programs
Modified templates are available on our web site. These are based on templates provided by University Advancement. The Universal Design Team modified these to provide flexibility to faculty and staff. Contact Sandra Caesar with any questions or ideas regarding this deployment or possible improvements.
The Academic Set of the templates have been updated with a new look, feel and style which are also located on the Template Set page. In addition, we are added a word processing template and a PDF template for the Syllabus.
Highlights Include:
- Course Schedule / Assignments - html
- Instructor's Campus Calendar - html
- Syllabus - html - doc - pdf
Technical Staff Template Deployment Options
Provision of web files needed for technical support staff to access and modify templates according to their department needs.
Instructional Material Best Practice Highlights
Faculty are developing best practices for instructional materials including logic and mathematical symbols. Faculty in the math department are working to infuse universal design principles in the Online Math Tutoring Center.