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Equivalent Text Descriptions

Universally designed documents, slides, videos, etc require additional preparation to make them accessible to all individuals.  Equivalent text descriptions (EqTD’s) provide written descriptions of graphic elements.  While it is typical to think of this process as an accommodation for blind individuals, EqTD’s help individuals with low vision, cognitive or perceptual limitations as well as the student who does not speak English as a primary language, or who may not have completely understood the purpose of a graphic in a lecture.  The location of EqTD’s may vary.  On this page it is demonstrated that EqTD’s may be placed in a separate location with a copy of the graphic, a  method that allows for bi-modal learning.

Learn about Equivalent Text Descriptions:

Charts and Graphs

A3 Model diagram depicting three phases: advocacy, accommodation and accessibility. A3 diagram
The A3 model demonstrates the progression (over time) of organizations through three phases of interventions (advocacy, accommodation, and accessibility) for individuals with disabilities, with the accessibility phase regarded as the most advanced. The diagram illustrates how three different intervention approaches (advocacy, accommodation, and accessibility) for people with disabilities evolve over time. The first phase, Advocacy, indicates the phase in which awareness is raised about the needs of people with disabilities. In this phase self advocacy or advocacy by others dominates as the primary intervention approach. The second phase, Accommodation, reveals that advocacy begins to shrink and individual accommodation interventions grow in proportion, represented as the primary intervention approach. The third phase, Accessibility, represents the more advanced balance of interventions where less advocacy and individual accommodation is needed, with accessibility represented as the primary intervention approach. The majority of intervention and effort for people with disabilities in this last phase is met through a universal design approach where everyone receives the same intervention.

Photographs

A very tall student stands at a wall-mounted computer kiosk. Accessibility Blooper
A very tall student stands, bent in front of a computer screen. The screen at the kiosk is not adjustable, requiring her to assume a slouched posture to utilize the computer.
A pole in the middle of a curb-cut. Accessibility Blooper
A utility pole obstructs a curb-cut on an urban street corner.

Drawings and Illustrations

Logo for the 2008 ACCESS-ed Conference ACCESS-ed Conference
Logo of ACCESS-ed 2008 Conference held in Milwaukee.
The campus administration building Administration
A gold-colored building representing an administration center found on a typical college campus. The graphic provides a quick visual reference for the administration webpage.
A campus art and music building. Art and Music
A building representing the art and music centers found on typical college campuses. The graphic is used on this webpage as a quick visual reference for the art and music section of the ACCESS-ed website.
Screen-shot image of the AUDIT word and excel documents. AUDITs
A screen-shot of two overlapped documents, providing a glimpse of what the AUDIT score sheet and tutorial look like.
Screen-shot image of two word documents. Checklists & evaluations
Two overlapped word documents provide a quick visual reference for the Checklists and Evaluations webpage.
A diverse group of generic college classroom buildings. Classrooms & Learning
A cluster of buildings representing the Arts and Music, Science and Math, Language and ESL, and Geography centers found on typical college campuses. This graphic provides a quick visual reference for the classrooms and learning section of the website.
An open laptop on top of a book with a cup of coffee next to it. Distance Learning
A quick visual cue for the Distance Learning webpage, showing a laptop accessing distance education classes.
A clipboard, pencil, passport and set of keys. Fieldwork & Internships
A grouping of items (clipboard, pencil, passport and keys) in a purplish color used in the context of one who would be going out on fieldwork or an internship.
A screen-shot of a questionnaire. Forms
A blank questionnaire shaded in a bluish color providing a quick visual reference to the Forms webpage.
A generic campus geography building Geography
A building representing the geography center found on typical college campuses. This graphic is used as a quick visual reference for the geography section of the ACCESS-ed website.
A path, a bus, and generic campus buildings. Grounds, Physical Plant, Transportation
Campus grass, campus trees, a campus path, a campus bus, and campus buildings. The image provides a quick visual reference for the grounds, physical plant, and transportation section of the website.
The information technology building. Information Technology
A building representing the information technology center found on typical college campuses. This graphic serves as a quick visual reference for the information technology webpage.
a cluster of six illustrations representing six different teaching methods utilized on a college campus. Instructional Methods
Six illustrations representing the instructonal methods of: Lecture, testing, labs, distance learning, fieldwork / internships, and texts. These illustrations are all shaded in a purplish color and provide a quick visual for the teaching methods section of the website.
A microscope and an Erlenmeyer flask. Labs
A microscope and Erlenmeyer flask, frequently used for experiments in chemistry or science labs on college campuses. This illustration is used as a quick visual reference for the labs section of the website.
ESL & Language Center on college campuses. Language & ESL
A building representing the Language and ESL centers on typical college campuses. This image provides a quick visual reference for the language and ESL section of the website.
A person presenting information. Lecture
This illustration of a person giving a presentation provides a quick visual reference to the lecture section of the website.
The library on a college campus. Library
A modernistic building representing a college campus library. This graphic provides a quick visual reference for the library section of the website.
A cluster of seven images representing seven types of madia and materials. Media & Materials
Seven separate images representing seven learning materials and media seen on a college campus. Each image is shaded in a bluish color providing a quick visual reference for the learning materials section of the website.
A small, portable audio player with headphones. Podcast
An audio player device used to play podcasts is shown providing a quick visual reference to the podcasts section of the website.
Several shadowed people standing in front of a poster presentation. Posters & Exhibits
A poster used in a professional presentation at a conference provides a quick visual reference for the posters and exhibits section of the website.
An audience watching a Powerpoint presentation. PowerPoint
An individual giving a presentation to a large group of people in an auditorium using PowerPoint. This illustration provides a quick visual reference to the PowerPoint section of the website.
Screen-shot image of two word documents. PowerPoint Presentations
Used in this website to provide a quick visual reference for the PowerPoint Presentations section of the website.
A student dorm Residential Housing
A building representing a student dormitory found on a typical college campus. This illustration provides a quick visual reference for the residential housing section of the website.
Science and Math building. Science & Math
A building representing the Science and Math center found on a typical college campus. This illustration provides a quick visual reference to the science and math section of the website.
Stadium and a sports-recreation building. Sports & Recreation
An athletic stadium and a building representing the recreational or athletic center found on a typical college campus. This illustration provides a quick visual reference to the sports and recreation section of the website.
Screen-shot image of two word documents. Strategies & Protocols
Used in this website to provide a quick visual reference for the Strategies & Protocols section of the website.
Student services building. Student Services
A building representing a student services center found on a typical college campus. This graphic provides a quick visual reference to the student services section of the website.
Student union building. Student Union
A building representing a student union center found on a typical college campus. This illustration provides a quick visual reference for the student union section of the website.
A hand feeling a tactile map. Tactile Diagrams
A tactile map provides a quick visual reference for the tactile diagrams section of the website.
Two students taking a test. Testing
An illustration of two students taking a test provides a quick visual reference for the testing section of the website.
A stack of generic textbooks. Texts
This illustration of several textbooks stacked on top of one another provides a quick visual reference for the texts section of the website.
The buildings of the Virtual Campus The Virtual Campus
A cluster of colorful campus buildings providing a quick visual reference to the virtual campus section of the website.
A screen-shot image of three ACCESS-ed Posterette word documents. Tip Sheets & Posterettes
The illustration is used in this website to provide a glimpse of what the Posterettes look like as well as a quick visual reference for the Tip Sheets & Posterettes section of the website.
A screen-shot image of two TUSK word documents. Tuskkit
The image is used in this website to provide a glimpse of what the TUSK documents look like as well as a quick visual reference for the TUSKs section of the website.
A screen-shot of streaming video. Video
This graphic provides a quick visual reference to the video section of the website as well as highlighting some of the videos you may see by selecting the below external or internal links.
A screen-shot image of an online video clip. Videos
The screen-shot provides a quick visual reference for the Video section of the website.
An illustration containing screen-shots of various web-pages. Web pages
This illustration provides a quick visual reference to the Web pages section of the website.

Logos

Logo for the 2008 ACCESS-ed Conference ACCESS-ed Conference
Logo of ACCESS-ed 2008 Conference held in Milwaukee, WI.
The ACCESS-ed logo ACCESS-ed Logo
A large ACCESS-ed logo.
The ACCESS-ed logo ACCESS-ed Logo
A small ACCESS-ed logo
Logo of the University of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville logo
Logo of the University of Wisconsin - Platteville
The R2D2 logo R2D2 Logo
The R2D2 Center logo including the text "Rehabilitation Research Design & Disability"
Logo of the UW Colleges UW-Colleges logo
Logo of the UW Colleges
Logo of the University of Wisconsin - Parkside UW-Parkside logo
Logo of the University of Wisconsin - Parkside
The UWM logo UWM Logo
The University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee logo.

Icons

Round, red bullet point indicating that the category is selected. Bullet (bright)
Square, red bullet point that changes into a brighter red circular bullet point when the webpage is selected. Bullet (dark)

We know that equality of individual ability has never existed and never will, but we do insist that equality of opportunity still must be sought.

Franklin D. Roosevelt