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Library Accessibility & Instruction Guide

A guide that compiles information about accessibility best practices for instruction, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), tutorials & resources, as well as accessibility of MSU library resources.

Resources from Academic Technology & Outreach

Free web tutorials from MSU Academic Technology & Outreach to help instructors make accessible materials, including:

  1. Eight (8) Steps to Make a Word Document Accessible
  2. Thirteen (13) Steps to Make a PowerPoint Accessible
  3. Five (5) Steps to Record a TechSmith Relay Video
  4. Seven (7) Steps to Make a TechSmith Relay Video Accessible

Accessibility & Instruction Digital Handout

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Why Accessibility Matters

Student Success Depends on Access

Without access, students will not fully succeed. As instructors, we strive to support student success, not hinder it. You won’t know everyone who has a disability. Students are not required to disclose a disability, and many are invisible.

19%

Roughly one in five (1 in 5) undergraduate students have a disability according to the National Center for Education Statistics, compared to 26% of adults in the US, according to the CDC.

100%

Access Lab: everyone will experience a disability at some point in their life often during college, from situational and temporary disabilities such as an injury, to permanent disabilities like reduced eyesight.

Everyone Benefits

"An accessible web benefits everyone... An accessible web gives people the flexibility to access digital materials in whatever way they need or want to." (Association of Research Libraries Web Accessibility Toolkit)

For example:

  • Providing multiple formats of instructional content helps those who need to access the content in a certain way, as well as all other students who can get the content in the best way for them.
  • Automatic door openers are helpful for mobility aids, and for pushing a full shopping cart.
  • Curb cuts on the sidewalk allow easy access for people with disabilities, and folks rolling a suitcase or stroller.
  • Closed captioning supports hearing impaired users, and also helps people follow along in noisy places like airports or restaurants.