Welcome to your next UDL Explorer Challenge Activity!
This challenge falls within the UDL Principle of Engagement.
Our Challenge for You
To complete this challenge, we are asking you to create your own welcoming accessibility statement for your course at UBC. You will find instructions, examples, and helpful resources on this page. We are excited to see what you come up with!
Why Is This Important for UDL?
A welcoming accessibility statement is a great first step to implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into your courses. It’s a way to communicate your level of commitment to designing your course in a way that is inclusive and welcoming to all students.
When instructors take the time to create a welcoming accessibility statement, they are really connecting with students and telling them they care about them and are rising to the challenge of addressing accessibility in their classroom.
Examples
Here are some examples of welcoming accessibility statements:
Heidi and Venecia’s Welcoming Accessibility Statement
I am committed to creating a course that is welcoming and inclusive for all learners. My goal is to eliminate any barriers to your learning while maintaining a high course quality and achieving the learning outcomes. If you experience any challenges in understanding course content, navigating the course, or participating in course activities, please let me know so I can determine if an adjustment can be made. I am always looking for feedback that will enhance your experience in my course.
Pearson’s Commitment to Accessibility
Our mission is simple: to help people make progress in their lives through learning, because wherever learning flourishes, so do people. We will be successful only when our educational materials are accessible to all users.
We’ve long been committed to providing access to learners with disabilities. Our commitment is woven into the fabric of our learning materials, development processes, innovation efforts, employee culture, and partnerships.
Explore
This challenge falls within the UDL Principle Engagement. Learn more about the UDL guidelines for recruiting interest.
Writing accessibility statements: The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has a great article that provides more detail on writing welcoming accessibility statements, along with some examples.
Next Steps: Reflect and Implement
Think about the activity we just completed. What is one key takeaway or insight you gained from it? How did this activity enhance your understanding of the concept? Identify one action you can take to apply this new knowledge or skill in a real-world context.