Meeting the learning needs of students with disabilities in online and remote environments

Students reported feeling like the workload increased;

there was a greater emphasis on reading and writing;

it was hard to attend to and learn from online lectures

provide structure and scaffolding;

record any synchronous sessions so students can review them;

provide multiple ways for students to participate in class;

keep recorded lectures short;

use frequent, low-stakes assessments

Students reported having to learn to use new digital tools, often with insufficient instruction

Give direct instruction (not just links) for students to learn to use any tools you use;

provide opportunities for guided practice before the tools need to be used to learn content or demonstrate understanding;

teach students online etiquette, e.g., muting microphones, using chat functions

We all found it hard to maintain our attention in long Zoom sessions;

video recorded lectures were hard to hear, professors sometimes spoke with their back to the camera;

videos without captions were assigned;

texts that cannot be read by screen readers were assigned

Make sure everyone can see and hear the content;

avoid very long Zoom whole class synchronous sessions, use small group meetings and online discussion forums to supplement;

make hyperlinks descriptive (avoid “click here”);

face the camera when speaking if you are recording your face, and

use videos with captions or provide captions (see resources below);

make text in presentations legible (large font, high color contrast);

provide multiple ways for students to participate

Faculty did not always respond to email;

office hours were filled

try to respond to student email by the end of the next work day;

expand office hours when possible, or use a scheduling tool to allow students to sign up directly for them

Asynchronous learning requires students to be more autonomous, without external support from peers and faculty;

students had difficulty maintaining motivation & difficulty managing negative emotions;

faculty may not notice a student struggling

balance structure and regular communications with flexibility;

consider “soft” and “hard” deadlines for assignments, be flexible;

provide back channels so students can communicate with each other for support;

remind students that they still have access to campus support services online