Tools and Resources

This protocol addresses the needs of all users to access standard bulletin boards, blackboards, and white/dry-erase boards. Currently, ADA has guidelines for signage, but does not include bulletin board, blackboard, or white board guidelines. ADA requires that signs be hung at 60” to the mid-height of the sign (ADA, 2002). Although this is useful for signs, 60” places small boards too high for the reach of many users.

This PDF provides construction tips to insure accessibility. This document also includes an example of model contract language.

Departmental Accessibility Resource Coordinator (DARC) are "appointed liaisons to bring universal design in education (UDE) ideas and resources to their respective departments or units." Prepared in posterette format for handy distribution.

These two Power Point slides provide a guideline to insure that the font size within print media are accessible when projected.

This posterette highlights the problems with ADA requirements and wall mounted controls and offers solutions (ADA standard vs.preferred standard). There are many wall mounted controls whose heights should be taken into consideration including light switches, thermostat controls, elevator controls, doorbells, automatic door openers, etc. ADA requirements are the minimum legal obligations that all builders must abide.

This posterette provides a summary of the "basics" to introduce Universal Design into your classroom. Examples are optimum classroom environment and verbally describing images.

"Most web accessibility guidelines already go hand-in-hand with website development practices." On this web page, you can find 10 quick and easy ways to improve your site’s accessibility.

This website contains information on how to create an accessible poster from the American Public Health Association (APHA). It is one if APHA's goals to make meetings accessible to the widest range of people possible. This website gives bullet-points in several categories to make your poster more accessible.

Easter Seals Disability Services provides disability etiquette. This website contains tips for etiquette during conversations and common courtesies.

The ASCLA “Library Accessibility –What You Need to Know” toolkit series of fifteen tipsheets was developed to help librarians in all types of libraries understand and manage access issues. Each tipsheet addresses a specific concern, and was updated in 2010.

This handbook serves as a handy reference tool for faculty and staff at the postsecondary level who are teaching students who are deaf or hard of hearing. It accompanies a CD that can be used in faculty development activities to enhance their understanding of the educational needs and services of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. (2000)

This tip sheet from PEPNet provides a description of Deaf culture and suggestions for effective communication. Tips include the importance of American Sign Language, terms used in the Deaf community, and guidelines for communication.

The seven principles of product and environmental universal design (from The Center for Universal Design, North Carolina State University) are applied to education on this printable "CATS Fact Sheet". Please note that wording is adjusted to the education realm.

"In these terms, universal design means the development of curriculum, instructional materials and instruction to be accessible to and useable by students with different backgrounds and abilities. The key aspect of a universally designed curriculum is its in-built flexibility."

CATS (Creating Accessible Teaching & Support) is hosted by the University of Tasmania, and was funded by the Australian Government, Department of Education, Employment, & Workplace Relations and the Australian Learning and Teaching Council.