5 Accessibility

All courses (face-to-face, blended, or online) must meet AODA standards for disability accommodation – physical disability, learning disability, mental health condition, etc. One specific pointthing to keep in mind is that video transcripts should be available for students with various disabilities to ensure their understanding is not compromised. In the next few years, all videos must be close-captioned before being posted online. Alternative methods of accessing content, communication, and assessment should be discussed and made available to students who have been approved for these types of accommodation.
An instructor “how to” guide is available from Student Accessibility Services https://sas.mcmaster.ca/instructors-how-to/ and the Accessibility Hub of McMaster University offers essential background information as well as hands-on information about creating an accessible environment (https://accessibility.mcmaster.ca/topic/about-us/). One-on-one consultations are available through the MacPherson Institute if you have questions about your specific course design, related to accessibility or other course design issues.
When creating course content, information on creating alternative formats, captioning and audio, assistive technologies and e-learning resources can be found at: https://accessibility.mcmaster.ca/topic/tools/