Accessibility Scavenger Hunt

Accessibility is an essential concept within the Universal Design for Learning framework and guidelines. At a surface level, we recognize accessibility as part of the "Access" row of the UDL Guidelines. I would argue that accessibility concepts and practices are also embedded in the "Build" and "Internalize" rows of the UDL Guidelines. Let's explore these ideas together and find new ways to think of accessibility within your UDL practices.

Questions:

• Q1: I've often said that you can have accessibility without Universal Design for Learning, but you can't have #UDL without accessibility. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

• Q2: Most of us think of the #UDL Representation guidelines and checkpoints when we think of accessibility. Share some examples of how accessibility is embedded in the principle of Multiple Means of Representation.

• Q3: Share some examples of how accessibility is embedded in the #UDL principle of Multiple Means of Action & Expression.

• Q4: Finally, share some examples of how accessibility is embedded in the #UDL principle of Multiple Means of Engagement. (This one might not be as straightforward, but it's just as important.)

Background Information

• According to a Joint Letter from the US Department of Justice and the US Education Department on June 29, 2010, educational materials and technologies are "accessible" to people with disabilities if those people are able to “acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services” as people who do not have disabilities, and “in an equally integrated and equally effective manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use.”

• An Introduction to Digital Accessibility [Open Captioned Video] [3:26 min] from the ADA National Network

• Designing the Future to Be Accessible, a Texthelp Talks podcast with Luis Pérez & Mindy Johnson, hosted by Joni Degner, 2022

#UDLchat is a bi-monthly Twitter chat focused on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). We are a virtual community of practitioners, enthusiasts, and evangelists eager to discuss resources, successes, and challenges in implementing UDL in a wide variety of environments and contexts.

Join us every 1st & 3rd Wednesday from 6:00-6:30 pm PT / 9:00-9:30 pm ET (UTC-4) for a rapid-fire learning-focused chat, and build your PLN!

• Tag your answers with #UDLchat to participate in the conversation. If you're feeling brave, throw in some other hashtags such as #UDL, #UDLfam, or add the handles (@names) for your school, university, organization, or other people you want to invite to the conversation.
• Questions from the moderator begin with Q1, Q2, Q3... Your responses should begin with A1, A2, A3... corresponding with the question number.
  
• If using images, don't forget to include image descriptions for accessibility.
  
• #UDLchat is about the power of the group. Don't forget to follow new people and raise/love others up.
• Use any part of tonight's questions in your own chats or conversations.
• Find the archives of past #UDLchat conversations on Wakelet: #UDLchat Archives from Ron Rogers.
  
• Have fun and share the #UDLlove!

Here are some great resources to help you get started!

• Edublogs Teacher Challenges: Participate in Twitter Chats [blog post]
  
• The Social Media Coach: How to Participate in a Twitter Chat [blog post]
• Twitter Chat Basics [video 3:24] from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. It's a great intro for those new to the format.
• Twubs: #UDLchat [tool] Lots of #UDLchat participants use Twubs to keep track of the fast-paced conversation. Twubs has great tools to speed up or slow down the pace of the tweets, and if you log in using your Twitter account, it adds the hashtag to your tweets for you!

#UDLchat uses Remind for chat reminders.

Pick a way to receive messages for #UDLchat:

• If you have a smartphone, get push notifications.
  On your iPhone or Android phone, open your web browser and go to the following link: rmd.at/udlchat
  Follow the instructions to sign up for Remind. You'll be prompted to download the mobile app.
• If you don't have a smartphone, get text notifications.
  Text the message @udlchat to the number 81010.
  If you're having trouble with 81010, try texting @udlchat to (781) 916-9648.
  * Standard text message rates apply.
• Don't have a mobile phone? Go to rmd.at/udlchat on a desktop computer to sign up for email notifications.