ADA Compliance and Teaching Linguistics Online Best Practices

ADA Compliance and Teaching Linguistics Online Best Practices and Resources This Power. Point has been designed to meet accessibility standards. If you encounter any issues, please notify the presenter directly.

Americans with Disabilities Act • This presentation is about best practices for creating an ADA functional online course. • This presentation is not about ADA history or law.

Learning Applied Skills • You would not learn how to drive by being taught the history of the automobile. • You will not learn how to implement ADA best practices by being taught the history of the ADA.

Make a Better “Driving” Experience • Driving best practices and skills look after you and other drivers. • ADA best practices and skills look after you and your students.

Why Implement These Best Practices • University movement to require ADA approval before teaching a new course. • Best practices make for a better course environment for more students than you know.

Best Practices are Best for Every Student • 1 in 12 men are colorblind (National Eye Institute) • 75% of adults use some sort of vision correction (The Vision Council) • 60% of Americans are far sighted (e. g. , have trouble reading; The Vision Council) • 1 in 4 College students have hearing loss or hidden hearing loss that impacts their ability to discern speech (Le Prell, Hensley, Campbell, Hall & Guire, 2012; Liberman, Epstein, Cleveland, Wang, & Maison; 2016)

Linguistics is Relevant to the Cause • Affordances – Properties of objects which show users the actions they can take. • Digital Affordances – Properties of your instructional material which show students the actions they can take through understandable cues. • Paralinguistics – communication outside of words themselves • Paralinguistics Digital Affordances - are simple cues that one can give in response to social media content with one click

LING 2050: Language of Now • Online • Undergraduate core curriculum course • No required textbook • Multiple sections taught by multiple instructors

Introduction to Linguistics • Explores the relationship between pop culture, technology, and language change. Examines the linguistic significance of new technologies such as texting, gaming, IM, and social networking.

Instructional Materials • • • Course Shell (e. g. , Canvas, Blackboard) Power. Points Video Recorded Lectures Website Links (external sources) Readings (excerpts) Podcasts Infographics You. Tube videos Word documents Images

Simple, One-Time Fixes • “Simple” - shallow learning curve, may or may not mean quick to implement • “Long Term” - content that is continually used

Examples of Simple, One-Time Fixes • • • Font size Alt. text to images Section or page titles (e. g. , Power. Point slide) Hyperlinks Colors And many more… • Visit my webpage to see a full list of “simple” fixes and trainings on how to apply them.

Where do I start? Who has the answer(s)? Who can train me? How do I do this? Did I fix it all yet?

Barriers Lack of university support Lack of resources Lack of LMS (e. g. , Canvas) support

Barriers For Linguists Phonology - Phonemes Morphology – Morphemes Dialect Illustrations

Compliant versus Functional • Practical, applied trainings; • Services • Access to instructional material

Where do I (you) start? • THADA the one-stop-ADA-shop • Start with simple, one-time fixes. Create a course that assists every student; a course your students can experience.