Disabled Student Development (DSD) has been charged by the university to determine reasonable and appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities as outlined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.  In determining who is eligible for accommodations, DSD reviews relevant medical and psychometric documentation of the student's disability.  If a student requests a disability-related accommodation and has supplied DSD with appropriate documentation of the disability, DSD will supply the student with a letter to give to his/her instructors verifying the disability, listing the necessary accommodations, and describing how these accommodations can be provided. While many of the same accommodations for students with disabilities are necessary for students taking distance education courses, classes taught in this manner create some challenges for DSD and faculty in properly accommodating students with disabilities.  The information below addresses accommodation needs and issues for students with different types of disabilities.  Additionally, suggestions are offered for working with students with disabilities in the distance education setting. 

Also keep in mind that designing your class in a way that is accessible to persons with disabilities may also be beneficial to persons without disabilities.  For example, a student might be in a noisy lab when watching a video.  In this situation, captions on the video would be helpful for that student as well as a student who is hard of hearing.  Additionally, using technology that is easy to navigate and accessible by screen readers will not only help students who are blind but it will also help all students become comfortable with the program more quickly.

Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired

Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing 

Students with Learning Disabilities

Students with Mobility Impairments

Students with Chronic Health or Psychological Conditions

Additional Resources

Faculty Resources Available from Disabled Student Development
Ball State's Adaptive Computer Technology
Ball State's School of Extended Education

Ten Simple Steps Toward Universal Design of Online Courses
Providing Access to Students with Disabilities in Online Distance Education

DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology). DO-IT provides resources for students with disabilities and for colleges and universities in serving students with disabilities.

     Equal Access: Universal Design of Distance Learning http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Technology/equal_access_uddl.html

     Real Connections: Making Distance Learning Accessible to Everyone
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Video/real_con.html

     DAIS (Disability Access Information and Support).  DAIS provides support and training for postsecondary personnel working with students with disabilities.
http://www.daisweb.com/node/3

     Accessibility in Distance Education: A Resource for Faculty in Online Teaching (from the University of Maryland University College) http://www.umuc.edu/ade/

Universal Design of Instruction (UDI) Resources:

Universal Design of Instruction: Definition, Principles, and Examples
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Academics/instruction.html

Universal Design for Instruction Fact Sheet (from FacultyWare)http://www.facultyware.uconn.edu/files/udi2_fact_sheet.pdf

Department of Education's Accessibility and Universal Design
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/disaccess.html

Association on Higher Education and Disability
http://ahead.org/resources/ud_intro.php