Accessibility is a Garden
March 21, 2024
Accessibility is a practice – like yoga, meditation, or martial arts, or like gardening. You wouldn’t attend one yoga class and expect to be done. You wouldn’t plant seeds once and expect a garden. Like other practices, accessibility is something you return to frequently. You build on previous efforts. Where are you in your accessibility journey? Read More About Accessibility is a Garden
Accessibility in STEM
March 21, 2024
Content created using LaTeX CAN be fully accessible. Put your LaTeX content into Canvas or export it to other formats for accessible results. The Academic Technology team is developing resources to support you.Read More About Accessibility in STEM
Cultural Competence and Accessibility
March 21, 2024
When we enhance instructional materials to make them accessible to all students, how do we ensure the changes align with our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging? Read More About Cultural Competence and Accessibility
Captions and Audio Descriptions
March 21, 2024
The company that captions instructional videos and creates audio descriptions, Verbit, has multiple checks in place to ensure accuracy. Filters prevent problematic terms from slipping through. And employees at Verbit put a human touch on every video that goes out, catching things a computer might miss.Read More About Captions and Audio Descriptions
Listening and Learning from Students
March 21, 2024
CSUN is deeply committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive community and presents many opportunities to learn about cultures other than our own and broaden our perspectives. Faculty Development offers a self-paced program around unconscious bias and different series that emphasize equity in teaching. Read More About Listening and Learning from Students
Minor in Disability Studies
March 21, 2024
CSUN instituted the first minor in Disability Studies in the CSU, and we have one of only a few programs in Disability Studies nationwide. Emerging out of the civil rights and disability rights movement, Disability Studies examines the social, cultural, historical, and political structures that inform disability. Read More About Minor in Disability Studies
Sharing Accessibility Efforts Utilizing Teach Access
March 21, 2024
Are you ready to spread your accessibility efforts further and share accessibility knowledge and techniques with your students? An organization called Teach Access will help.
The organization Teach Access is a partnership between the technology industry, higher education, and other stakeholders. Their goal is to graduate more students into the workforce with accessibility knowledge and skills, especially in technology-related disciplines. Read More About Sharing Accessibility Efforts Utilizing Teach Access
Setting the Language For a PDF
March 21, 2024
PDFs should specify the language of the content, but often don’t. Setting the language helps assistive technology such as screenreaders to present the content correctly. From a PDF editor such as Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, select the File tab, then Properties. Select the Advanced tab. Under Reading Options, set the Language value. Read More About Setting the Language For a PDF
Do You Buy Tech?
February 21, 2024
The way the campus purchases technology is changing, and you’re invited to come to one of our live question-and-answer sessions to learn more.
https://www.csun.edu/universal-design-center/ict-request-topdesk
One of the ways we ensure that students and the rest of the CSUN community have access to campus technology and digital information is by checking for accessibility compliance during the purchasing process. Submitting the Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI) Information and Communication Technology (ICT) form prompts an accessibility assessment by the Universal Design Center (UDC). Read More About Do You Buy Tech?
Captioning Instructional Videos
January 30, 2024
Did you know that CSUN will caption your instructional videos at no cost to your department? Many films and videos are already captioned, so check the video you want to present. If it is not captioned – or if the captions are poor quality - you can submit your videos to the NCOD: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services to have them professionally captioned. Read More About Captioning Instructional Videos
Course Accessibility Report
December 21, 2023
What’s one simple step you can take to improve the accessibility of your course(s) before the next semester starts? Review your Course Accessibility Report.
Your Course Accessibility Report is specific to each course you teach using Canvas, and it is viewable only* by you. The report gives you a measure of the accessibility status of your course, a list of all of your course content and the accessibility of each file, and a list of the accessibility challenges that Canvas Ally found in your course. Read More About Course Accessibility Report
Alternative Testing Accommodations for Final Exams
November 16, 2023
Alternative testing accommodations, such as extended time for testing, are provided to ensure that a student's performance is representative of their mastery of the subject and not their disability.
DRES and/or NCOD student(s) must request their accommodations each semester in SAAS and faculty are able to review the student eligible accommodations.
This PDF is Scanned
October 19, 2023
Your PDF in Canvas has a bright red dial, a score of 0%, and the message “This PDF is scanned.” What do you do?
Step 1: Can you make another copy?
Do you have access to the original book, article, etc.? Can you find it again online or in the University Library? Read More About This PDF is Scanned
AI & Accessibility
September 21, 2023
Artificial intelligence (AI) is making the digital world more accessible. Paradoxically, some AI tools are themselves not accessible. If you want to use AI in your class this Fall, offer an alternate way to complete those assignments and/or check with the Universal Design Center (UDC) about the accessibility of the tool you’ve chosen. Read more about AI & Accessibility
Joint Dear Colleague Letter from the DOJ and DOE
May 19, 2023
Today, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a letter regarding the Departments' ongoing efforts to address barriers that prevent people with disabilities from participating in online services, programs, and activities that colleges, universities, and other postsecondary institutions make available to students and the public. The letter can be found at OCR's Digital Accessibility webpage and DOJ's Disability Rights Cases page. Read Joint Dear Colleague Letter from the DOJ and DOE.
Early Bird Accessibility
May 18, 2023
A few steps over the summer will mean a smoother start to the Fall semester for many of your students. Read More About Early Bird Accessibility
Alternative Testing Accommodations for Final Exams
Alternative testing accommodations, such as extended time for testing, are provided to ensure that a student's performance is representative of their mastery of the subject and not their disability.
DRES and/or NCOD student(s) must request their accommodations each semester in SAAS and faculty are able to review the student eligible accommodations.
New Procurement Accessibility Canvas Course
March 29, 2023
If you are a frequent “CSUN shopper” you may have been told to complete an ICT Form prior to your purchase being approved. Information Communication Technology (ICT) purchases at CSUN must undergo the Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI) Procurement Procedure. Knowing when, what and how to submit required documentations to Universal Design Center (UDC) and the Purchasing & Contract Administration will help both departments expedite your request. Read More About New Procurement Accessibility Canvas Course
What Does a11y Mean?
February 23, 2023
“a11y” stands for “accessibility.” A numeronym is a number-based word with 11 for the number of letters between the letters a and y. A11y often appears on social media platforms like Twitter because space is limited and every character counts #a11y. It is always good practice to spell the word and any abbreviations or make a reference to your abbreviation when used for the first time. Read More About What Does a11y Mean?
5 Accessibility Tips to Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
January 19, 2023
Whether it is a document, webpage, Canvas, flyer, infographic, email, or social media, content creators should always consider the five most common accessibility tips to create accessible and user-friendly content for everyone. Read More About 5 Accessibility Tips to Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
Accessibility Tip - Student and Faculty Training
December 22, 2022
In 2021-22, the Universal Design Center (UDC) conducted a pilot with select departments to train their student employees in making documents accessible. The pilot was a success, so for 2022-23 we are pleased to offer this program to all CSUN departments.
The Universal Design Center (UDC) will train your department’s student employees to help make documents and other course materials accessible. This new session starts in February 10th, and there are only 34 seats left. Sign your department’s student employees up today! Read More About Accessibility Tip - Student and Faculty Training
Accessibility Tip on Dashes and Hyphens
November 17, 2022
A screen reader is an assistive technology that helps people with vision impairment to access and interact with websites or applications through touch or audio. However, there are some limitations with screen readers. For example, screen readers do not know what the – symbol represents, whether it is a minus sign, hyphen, en dash or em dash, and will not read it. So, when you are creating content for your courses, it is always a good practice to spell out the word and any abbreviations or make a reference to your abbreviation when used for the first time. Read More About Accessibility Tip on Dashes and Hyphens
Accessibility Tip - Share Notes, Share Knowledge
October 20, 2022
In my dual role as an instructor and an accessibility analyst at the Universal Design Center, I often try to weave accessibility practices into my teaching strategies. They are mostly easy to implement and benefit all students. There may be students who do not self-identify as individuals who need certain accommodations to participate in class activities and meet the learning objectives. Read More About Accessibility Tip - Share Notes, Share Knowledge
Accessibility Tip - Recycling Old Files
Want to know a common object you’ll find in any classroom or office that’s a secret weapon when it comes to accessibility? It’s your computer’s Trash or Recycle Bin! Going through your content and getting rid of unused files helps you focus on the accessibility of the remaining materials. And it is often more time efficient to find or make a new, more accessible copy than it is to try and fix an older file.
If you need storage for files that you’re not using this semester, but that you don’t want to necessarily delete forever, you can always store them in myCSUNbox until you’re ready to make them accessible and use them again! Accessibility Tip - Recycling Old Files
Accessibility Training for Student Employees
August 26, 2022
The Universal Design Center (UDC) will be training student employees to help make documents and other materials accessible. This new session starts up on Sept. 30th, and there are only 18 seats left. Sign your department’s student employees up todayRead more about Accessibility Training for Student Employees
A few steps over the summer will mean a smoother start to the Fall semester for many of your students. Read More About Early Bird Accessibility
Join the "Moving the Needle" Challenge
March 24, 2022
This April 4th to 8th, each CSU will compete to see which campus can show the greatest improvement to the accessibility of our course materials. We need your help! Read CSUN's approach to this challenge
Where to Start with Accessibility?
Not sure where to begin when it comes to accessibility in your course? No problem! We have three steps that will help you get your course off to a great start. Read more about Where to Start with Accessibility?
What Does “Accessible” Mean?
What does it mean for something to be "accessible"? If your course materials pass these three checks, then you have addressed many common issues. Read more about What Does “Accessible” Mean?
Accessibility for Scanned PDFs
When you're working with scanned PDFs, Canvas Ally says “the document is scanned but not OCRed.” What can you do? Sometimes fixing a file is not the first answer. Read more about Accessibility for Scanned PDFs
Tidy Your Way to a Better Report
March 24, 2022
The Course Accessibility Report is a new feature of Canvas Ally that gives you a picture of the accessibility of the course as a whole. Read more about Canvas Ally Report
Just One Thing: Descriptive Text
March 24, 2022
Have time for just one accessibility step? Add descriptive text! Descriptions for images, links, and more can help all of your students navigate and access your content. Read more about Just One Thing
Faculty Resources for SAAS Student Accommodation
If you have a student in the Student Access and Accommodation System (SAAS) receiving services through NCOD: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, please brush up on the tips on their Virtual Learning page.
If you have a student in SAAS receiving services through Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES), please review their Accommodating Students page and consider how virtual instruction may intersect with your student(s) accommodation(s).
If you have any other questions about accessibility, please /bookings/">make an appointment with the Universal Design Center (UDC). Read more about Faculty Resources for SAAS Student Accommodation
Ensure your Spring syllabus is accessible and earn a stipend through this four-day workshop Jan. 11-14th, 10-11:30am each day. The Accessibility Bootcamp covers best practices, tips, and the core tools and campus resources available to make documents, videos, and other course materials more accessible. Featured tools include Canvas Ally, which aids in identifying accessibility challenges in your course materials in Canvas. Read more about Winter Accessibility Bootcamp
How Do Students Use Canvas Ally?
In 2020-2021, students downloaded 57,704 PDF versions of Word and PowerPoint course materials. Students have several alternative file formats to choose from, and Ally will convert a variety of files. However, Word and PowerPoint to PDF was by far the most popular. What does this mean for faculty? Read more about How do students use Canvas Ally?
Winter Online Accessibility Training
The CSU Chancellor's Office now offers an online independent-study document accessibility course covering Word, PowerPoint and PDF. The course covers creating, evaluating, and optimizing content and structure in documents. There's also a bonus module on accessibility in Excel. Read more about Winter Online Accessibility Training
New Canvas Course Accessibility Report Feature Available
New for 2021-22! The Course Accessibility Report is powered by Canvas Ally and is available in the navigation menu for each of your Canvas courses. The Course Accessibility Report gives you an overview of the accessibility of your course, including guidance like “easiest issues to fix” and “fix low scoring content." The Course Accessibility Report also lists all of the content within that course and displays the Canvas Ally dial for each item. Read more about New Canvas Course Accessibility Report Feature Available
Taking a few Universal Design steps over the summer will mean a smoother start to the Fall semester for many of the students in your courses. Read more about Early Bird Accessibility
Captioning Course Content
April 30, 2021
Captioning is part of the Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI) because videos have become an integral way to share information with students, faculty, staff... Read more about Captioning
Purchasing Information and Communication Technology
April 30, 2021
Another way CSUN incorporates accessibility is through our purchasing process. Per CSU policy, all of our Information and Communication Technology (ICT) purchases undergo the Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI) Procurement Procedure to measure the impact on accessibility. Read more about Purchasing ICT
New UDC Training Videos and Resources
April 30, 2021
Curious how to create accessible course materials that reach more students? The UDC offers Accessibility Training Videos and Resources, and virtual training throughout the year. Our Accessibility Training Events are open to all faculty, staff, and student assistants. Email us at udc@csun.edu. Visit UDC Training Video and Resources
Can You Read This? Using Color Contrast in Universal Design
March 23, 2021
Color can be a potent way to grab attention and convey information – and a few simple techniques can make it even more effective for the widest possible audience. Read more about Can You Read This? Using Color Contrast in Universal Design
Making STEM Content Accessible with EquatIO
EquatIO is software to help both faculty and students create, share, and study accessible equations and formulas. EquatIO can generate images with accurate alternate text descriptions, or “use LaTeX to create accessible math expressions and add them directly into digital documents.” Read more about Making STEM Content Accessible with EquatIO
New Zoom Feature - Live Automated Captioning
CSUN Academic Technology is excited to announce that live automated captioning in Zoom is now available campus-wide. Read more about New Zoom Feature - Live Automated Captioning
Canvas Ally Feature: BeeLine Reader
Ally, the accessibility service within Canvas, makes it easier for students (and you!) to read on computer, tablet, or mobile device screens. Read more about Canvas Ally Feature: BeeLine Reader
Captioning Videos
Funding is available to help faculty generate captions and transcripts for instructional media. Read more about captioning videos.
