Accessible Course Design

Towson University courses reflect the University’s emphasis on diversity, access, equity and inclusion.

Accessibility Guidance

Courses must be accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities unless equally effective alternative access is provided in another manner.

Need help with your course design or have questions about designing an accessible course in Blackboard? 

Contact FACET Instructional Designer

Planning an Accessible Course

Design a predictable and consistent course structure:

“ Accessible instructional design is good instructional design regardless of modality. â€

- FACET Sr. Instructional Designer, Teresa Valais 

Digital Accessibility

Videos should be captioned and audio-only format should be accompanied by a transcript. For students who use media or real-time captioning, or who use a sign language interpreter, this is critical.

Links

Resources

Individuals with disabilities may use a variety of assistive technologies to access course information. 

  • The Blackboard Accessibility Tool, Ally assesses document accessibility levels and provides indicators that guide faculty on ways to improve accessibility. Ally also offers alternative formats for students with disabilities. 
  • The Academic Commons in Cook Library has assistive technology-enabled computers for students and faculty use.

Textbooks

The TU Bookstore has recently adopted the . This program provides accessible interactive course materials at reduced costs. This program uses RedShelf's eReader. For more information about the accessibility features of the program, check out .