Student Equity and Wellbeing AccessAbility at JCU Resources for Staff

Resources for Staff

JCU values the principles of universal design and actively strives to implement the seven principles in teaching and learning, and workplace environments. Universal Design is based on the principles of diversity, social inclusion and equality and aims to enable all individuals to have equal opportunities to participate in every aspect of society.

We encourage JCU staff to be informed about:

  • supporting students with a disability
  • creating accessible learning environments
  • training options and resources (internal and external)
  • Creating Accessible Learning Environments
  • Policy and Legislation

Creating accessible content benefits everyone.  It is important to create content that is engaging and accessible to all types of learners, across multiple platforms and to consider individual needs. Universal Design for Learning is an educational framework that guides the development of flexible learning environments to accommodate individual learning differences.

Contact and Educational designers for support and advice (*link to contact request form)

Some applications of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) include:

  • providing course and subject materials in accessible formats such as accessible word documents or Braille, so that vision impaired students can use screen reading software or ‘read’ the documents. Microsoft have a number of accessibility features available that can help you with this.
  • providing captioning videos for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, for instructions on how to enable this function in Panopto, click here
  • providing a range of alternative learning activities to allow students to demonstrate knowledge.

Training on Universal Design for Learning:

Inclusive Learning Design: Quality and Accessible Learning, workshop by Jaimee Hamilton

Disability Awareness offer an e-Learning program that is designed for educational staff working in Higher Education and the Vocational Education and Training sector. It focuses on UDL in tertiary education and aims to increase your understanding of designing, developing and implementing UDL within your teaching practice. This course can be found here: Universal design for learning in tertiary education eLearning training

The Australian Disability Clearing House on Education and Training (ADCET) provides information, advice and resources on inclusive practices in higher education, resources for prospective and current students and for academic and professional staff.

Anthology Ally (formerly known as Blackboard Ally) is a tool available in LearnJCU that contributes to making subject content inclusive and flexible.

  • For students, it provides flexible learning options by enabling alternative formats on digital learning materials.
  • For educators, it provides accessibility scores against files and advice on how to improve those scores.

Check it out here.

Australian Disability Clearing House on Education and Training (ADCET) and the Council of Australasian University Directors of Information Technology (CAUDIT ) have produced an implementation guide for universities with practical guidance about procuring ICT products and services with accessibility as an essential criterion. https://www.adcet.edu.au/ict-procurement-guidelines

Students with disabilities may experience a range of disabilities and health conditions. These disabilities or health conditions may be visible and invisible, permanent or temporary, chronic or episodic. A  student with a disability or health condition may be entitled to receive adjustments and support. These are called reasonable adjustments. Reasonable adjustments refer to a ”measure or action taken to assist a student with a disability to participate in education on the same basis as other students”1

It may be useful for staff to have a basic understanding of some of the more common disabilities or health conditions and their potential reasonable adjustments. The information below outlines some main areas of disability or health conditions and disability specific reasonable adjustments and is meant as a guide only. Staff are encouraged to consider inclusive strategies beyond medical diagnoses or labels.

https://www.adcet.edu.au/students-with-disability/reasonable-adjustments-disability-specific