2. Planning the lecture term

Content: Accessible teaching materials, learning management system, rooms.

Teaching materials

When planning the lecture term, a key aspect of accessible teaching is the provision of accessible materials. In line with Universal Design for Learning (UDL), an approach should be adopted when preparing teaching that ‘takes into account the needs of as many people as possible, rather than requiring individual solutions’ (Fisseler, 2015, p. 45). Thanks to the UDL principle, even small adjustments benefit a large and diverse target group. Learning materials and environments can therefore be designed from the outset to cater to as many learners as possible – including students with disabilities.

You should therefore ensure that all documents are designed in an accessible format and made available to students. Furthermore, when planning the course, you can, for example, choose methods that allow students to learn in different ways and cater for different needs and strengths (such as using audio files instead of text-only files). To provide practical support in implementing accessible materials, the checklists in the ‘Documents’ section of this portal serve as a resource and contain specific instructions.

Learning Management System (LMS)

The same applies to materials made available via the Learning Management System (LMS). Here, too, it should be ensured that the content can be accessed without additional barriers. Where materials are made available via the Moodle and ILIAS LMSs, the course room itself should be designed to be accessible and have a clear and well-organised structure, for example using the topic format. Always ensure that the text editor in the LMS is formatted correctly and that all materials are clearly labelled. A checklist for the accessible design of a Moodle or ILIAS learning space, along with further information, can be found in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) section of this portal.

 Overall, when designing materials to be made available digitally, the four principles of accessibility must be observed.

1. Perceivability: Information must be designed in such a way that it is accessible via different sensory channels. Example: Texts are legible, images have alternative text, and videos have subtitles.
2. Operability: Content must be usable – with a mouse, keyboard or assistive technologies.
3. Comprehensibility: Structure and language should be clear, simple and easy to follow.
4. Robustness: Digital content must function with different devices, programmes and assistive technologies.

As a general rule, when designing for accessibility, it is helpful to follow the ‘two-senses principle' and bear in mind that information should always be perceivable via at least two of the three different sensory channels: sight, hearing or touch.

Rooms

Accessibility to seminar and lecture rooms, as well as the facilities within them, is also a key aspect of teaching planning with regard to accessibility. You should ensure that rooms are accessible and that the technical facilities are adequate.

At Bielefeld University, for example, you can use the ‘Centrally assigned rooms (ekvv)’ system to search for lecture halls and seminar rooms based on specific requirements such as blackout facilities, the presence of an induction loop or flexible seating arrangements. 

If you learn from students before the lecture term begins that they require specific technical support, you can make room bookings or arrange a change of room at an early stage, aquire the assistive technology, or address any knowledge gaps regarding its use early on.