I learned that accessibility isn’t an add-on, it’s part of quality and safety, just like hand hygiene or medication reconciliation in nursing. The module reframed my role: many disabilities are hidden, IDEA supports stop at high school, and in higher ed students must self-identify under ADA/504. That means my design choices can either remove barriers or create them. I’ll front-load accessibility by auditing my shell before the term: captions/transcripts, clear headings and alt text, and keyboard-only navigation. I’ll keep dates stable, post a “Start Here” with weekly top takeaways, and chunk major projects into milestones with rubrics and exemplars. Live sessions will always have an asynchronous path, and speaking tasks will have a written option. It’s also required that instructors monitor accessibility and the implementation of approved accommodations throughout the term, verifying captions function, links and documents remain accessible, due dates and instructions stay consistent, and that students can actually use course tools, documenting outreach and coordinating with Disability Services when barriers appear. I’ll also offer brief 1:1 check-ins to problem-solve early.
