Co-authored by Katie Duncan and Rhiannon Hall.
In 2024, we were privileged to welcome new members of the Student Learning Advisory Committee (SLAC), as well as some returning members who started with us last year. SLAC is an invaluable source of accessibility information – all members are students with lived experience of disability, and the group works on projects that can translate accessible principles into practice for staff. The result of this is a learning and teaching community that is more capable of creating accessible content, and benefits for students both with and without disabilities.
The acronym SLAC draws on the preconceived idea that many students with disabilities face – that they are ‘slack’ or lazy, when they are actually just struggling with inaccessible learning materials or conditions. By naming the team SLAC, students chose to reclaim the word and push back against stereotypes. This advice comes from the SLAC report ‘The student perspective on making UTS more accessible’. Stay tuned next year for a brand new resource collection co-designed with SLAC, plus more.
Clarity is the golden rule
- Expectations and goals: be as clear and concise as possible. Do students know what to expect when they start a subject – or even when they step into a lesson? Taking a minute to communicate plans and learning intentions can make a big difference.
- Language: focus on using clear language and plain English where possible for instructions. If you need to use technical terms or jargon, it’s helpful to define them first and ensure that everyone’s on the same page.
- Clear instructions: consider providing a walkthrough/guide for where to find specific things in Canvas. For example, it could be as simple as a short one-page outline, or you could create a screencast, mentioning where important information can be found (like assignments and contact details).
- Structure and navigation: when you upload content to Canvas, try to set out a clear and understandable structure for students to navigate. It would be even better to have a consistent structure across subjects within a course – this would make it much easier for students to follow each week.
Be flexible with options for students
- Some students might have a speech disability and need to communicate non-verbally via Teams chat, Zoom chat or Menti. Providing alternate communication options will also benefit students who are anxious or have English as a second language.
- Some students might prefer to talk verbally and find it difficult to write or type, so give both options.
- It’s helpful to design these options into your plan for class to ensure that the appropriate features are turned on and opportunities are created to bring attention to each so that everyone is involved in the conversation. For example, we used Microsoft Teams throughout the SLAC meetings. Each session we had smaller group discussions on tables, and each table had a private channel where we could communicate via the chat as well post notes from the discussion.
- Make sure your content is available online as much as possible. Some tips for this include: not locking modules behind pass/fail grades or dates, publishing PowerPoint slides ahead of time, uploading lectures, and keeping readings available for the whole semester. These steps are especially helpful for anyone who needs to use assistive technology.
- Consider anonymous ways that students can ask questions to be answered by tutors. For example, this could be done in an online document, or an anonymous Canvas discussion board or Menti.
Follow accessible practices
- Use captions wherever they are available – such as for recorded videos, and in Zoom tutorials. For audio-based content like podcasts, ensure that transcripts are available. This is helpful for everyone, but crucial for those with hearing disabilities.
- Use subheadings to break up long paragraphs of text in online spaces, such as your Canvas site. This is especially important for students who rely on screen readers, but will make it easier for all students to understand written content.
- Digital accessibility can be intimidating when you’re first getting familiar with it, but take it in small steps. Anything you do to make your subject more accessible is helpful. You can learn more from our Inclusive and accessible practices collection.
Getting to know each other
- All of the students in SLAC agreed that teacher presence can go a long way in making a subject more enjoyable. If you’re comfortable to do so, you could upload a photo of yourself to the Canvas site, or a welcome video. But even a short introduction is good to include.
- Some students prefer to speak openly about their access requirements, while others do not. They ask you to make them feel comfortable and let them know you are available to discuss.
- They also wanted you to know that having access requirements and asking for adjustments can be stressful. Students with disabilities and access requirements usually only ask for what they need to succeed.