Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning

To help make higher education available to as many students as possible, CUNY SPS supports course design that upholds the principles of accessibility and Universal Design in Learning (UDL).

See the links, quick guides, and video tutorials below for steps can you take to ensure that your Blackboard course site and the course materials you post there are accessible to all.

Word	Creating Accessible Word Docs (PDF) Checklist Word (PDF)	VIDEO TUTORIALS Part 1 & Part 2
Excel	Creating Accessible Excel Docs (PDF) Checklist Excel (PDF)	VIDEO TUTORIAL
PowerPoint	Creating Accessible PPT Docs (PDF) Checklist PPT (PDF)	VIDEO TUTORIAL
PDF	Creating Accessible PDFs (PDF)
Blackboard	Accessibility in Blackboard (PDF) Checklist for Course Sites (PDF) Adding Exceptions to Blackboard Tests (webpage)	VIDEO TUTORIAL: BB Accessibility VIDEO TUTORIAL: Adding Exceptions to Blackboard Tests
Caption and Transcript Service	CUNY SPS faculty may request captions for any video used in a course.	Request Captions (SPS Faculty Only)
YouTube Videos	How to Caption Videos on YouTube (PDF)	VIDEO TUTORIAL

CUNY-wide Resources

CUNY’s Accessibility Website (with links for faculty, students, and staff on the left)
CUNY’s Accessibility in Distance Learning site
Reasonable Accommodations: A Faculty Guide to Teaching College Students with Disabilities

Also, browse our Accessibility in Higher Ed series on the SPS Community Blog introducing the principles of Universal Design as they apply to teaching and learning.

(This site is continuous work in progress. Please check back for updates soon!)

	March 2023
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
			1 Personalizing Your P… Personalizing Your Panopto Video March 1, 2023 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM As many of us have learned, using Panopto to create a video is a simple process. But many of us have yet to unlock the powerful features inside Panopto that can transform video to maximize its impact. In this session, participants will look inside the Panopto video editor to discover tools for trimming or cutting video, adding additional content (ex. YouTube videos), or challenging students with in-video quizzes. Finally, we’ll review Panopto’s robust viewer analytics that tells us who has watched the video and for how long. Join us to make your next video go from good to great! - Wednesday March 1 at 10AM Register here See more details •	2	3	4
5	6 OpenLab Info Session OpenLab Info Session March 6, 2023 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Planning your future collaborative projects? Curious about what digital tools will be available at CUNY SPS in the near future? Thinking about what open digital pedagogy tools are best to collaborate, create, and explore? In this one-hour informational session, we’ll introduce the CUNY OpenLab. We’ll explore projects on other CUNY-based OpenLabs and take an informational tour of other OpenLab sites to explore the possibilities of a new, open-source platform coming soon to CUNY SPS. At the end of this interactive info session, we’ll share upcoming opportunities to participate in other workshops geared toward open digital pedagogy. Monday, March 6, 2023, 12:30-1:30PM Register here See more details •	7	8	9 OpenLab Info Session OpenLab Info Session March 9, 2023 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Planning your future collaborative projects? Curious about what digital tools will be available at CUNY SPS in the near future? Thinking about what open digital pedagogy tools are best to collaborate, create, and explore? In this one-hour informational session, we’ll introduce the CUNY OpenLab. We’ll explore projects on other CUNY-based OpenLabs and take an informational tour of other OpenLab sites to explore the possibilities of a new, open-source platform coming soon to CUNY SPS. At the end of this interactive info session, we’ll share upcoming opportunities to participate in other workshops geared toward open digital pedagogy. Thursday, March 9, 2023, 6-7PM Register here See more details •	10 Open for All Worksho… Open for All Workshop Live Meetings March 10, 2023 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM Open Spring at CUNY SPS 2023 Open for All Workshop & Discussion Series Using OER & Open Pedagogy to foster DEIA in online courses As part of the Open for All Workshop, March 3-31, there will be 5 live meetings: - an introduction for registered workshop participants - three thematic discussions open to the SPS community - a final meeting for registered workshop participants If you are participating in the workshop, please register here for all five meetings. If you are part of the SPS community and would like to attend one or more of the three open meetings, please select the dates when you will attend. Dates and meeting topics are: Friday 3/3, 12-12:30 - Registered Workshop Participants OnlyWorkshop Introduction Friday 3/10, 12-1:30 - Open to SPS communityDiversity of RepresentationWhere and how do students see themselves represented in your field through your course? Who is depicted in course materials? Who is presented as an authority in the field? Friday 3/17, 12-1:30 - Open to SPS communityInclusion & AccessibilityHow do students access content? How do they access concepts? Does everyone have equal and equitable access to the full range of materials and ideas in your course? What 5 things should all faculty know about accessibility in online learning? Friday 3/24, 12-1:30 - Open to SPS communityStudent Voice and ChoiceHow are students invited to represent themselves within the course? Within the field? How can they be given the chance to contribute to the knowledge community of the classroom and of the field at large? Friday 3/31, 12-1:30 - Registered Workshop Participants OnlyWorkshop Project Presentations If you have questions, please email Sarah Kresh in OFDIT (sarah.kresh@cuny.edu) See more details •	11
12	13	14	15	16 Blackboard Ally: An … Blackboard Ally: An Introduction March 16, 2023 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Learn how our new tool, Blackboard Ally, can increase access and improve the overall learning experience in your course by providing choice and flexibility for how students consume content and access media. We will cover both alternative file formats and the accessibility gauge features that are now available to all in your courses and the support Ally provides in addressing any areas where accessibility can be improved, often very quickly! Thursday, March 16 at 10am Register Here See more details •	17 Open for All Worksho… Open for All Workshop Live Meetings March 17, 2023 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM Open Spring at CUNY SPS 2023 Open for All Workshop & Discussion Series Using OER & Open Pedagogy to foster DEIA in online courses As part of the Open for All Workshop, March 3-31, there will be 5 live meetings: - an introduction for registered workshop participants - three thematic discussions open to the SPS community - a final meeting for registered workshop participants If you are participating in the workshop, please register here for all five meetings. If you are part of the SPS community and would like to attend one or more of the three open meetings, please select the dates when you will attend. Dates and meeting topics are: Friday 3/3, 12-12:30 - Registered Workshop Participants OnlyWorkshop Introduction Friday 3/10, 12-1:30 - Open to SPS communityDiversity of RepresentationWhere and how do students see themselves represented in your field through your course? Who is depicted in course materials? Who is presented as an authority in the field? Friday 3/17, 12-1:30 - Open to SPS communityInclusion & AccessibilityHow do students access content? How do they access concepts? Does everyone have equal and equitable access to the full range of materials and ideas in your course? What 5 things should all faculty know about accessibility in online learning? Friday 3/24, 12-1:30 - Open to SPS communityStudent Voice and ChoiceHow are students invited to represent themselves within the course? Within the field? How can they be given the chance to contribute to the knowledge community of the classroom and of the field at large? Friday 3/31, 12-1:30 - Registered Workshop Participants OnlyWorkshop Project Presentations If you have questions, please email Sarah Kresh in OFDIT (sarah.kresh@cuny.edu) See more details •	18
19	20 Blackboard Ally: An … Blackboard Ally: An Introduction March 20, 2023 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Learn how our new tool, Blackboard Ally, can increase access and improve the overall learning experience in your course by providing choice and flexibility for how students consume content and access media. We will cover both alternative file formats and the accessibility gauge features that are now available to all in your courses and the support Ally provides in addressing any areas where accessibility can be improved, often very quickly! Monday, March 20 at 1pm Register Here See more details •	21	22	23 Panopto for SPS Facu… Panopto for SPS Faculty March 23, 2023 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Creating video content just got a whole lot easier! Whether you need to record a welcome message, a lecture, or a recorded announcement for your class, Panopto, the SPS video platform integrated into Blackboard, can make it happen in a few clicks. Participants will learn how to access Panopto and its features through Blackboard, focusing on a workflow to create, organize, and publish your video content. Special attention will be paid to viewing permissions, sharing content between courses, and captioning. Join us to boost your video skills! - Thursday March 23 at 10am Register here See more details Getting Started with… Getting Started with Blackboard Mobile March 23, 2023 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM In this session, we will explore the Blackboard Mobile application and gain an understanding of how students experience learning on the go. We will also discuss the major interface differences between Blackboard Mobile and Blackboard for Desktop and best practices for online course design for mobile devices. Wednesday, March 23 at 11am Register Here See more details A Cut Above: Making … A Cut Above: Making Your Videos More Professional March 23, 2023 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Learn simple steps to present yourself on video to enhance your connection with your students by looking more professional. Nowadays, we have multiple opportunities to be on camera for synchronous virtual meetings or recording content for our classes. Having your students see and hear you builds rapport and sparks excitement for learning. No matter if you’re trying this for the first time or have been creating media for a while, this session we’ll give you a set of guides to make your videos look more professional. - Thursday March 23 at 4pm Register here See more details • • •	24 Open for All Worksho… Open for All Workshop Live Meetings March 24, 2023 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM Open Spring at CUNY SPS 2023 Open for All Workshop & Discussion Series Using OER & Open Pedagogy to foster DEIA in online courses As part of the Open for All Workshop, March 3-31, there will be 5 live meetings: - an introduction for registered workshop participants - three thematic discussions open to the SPS community - a final meeting for registered workshop participants If you are participating in the workshop, please register here for all five meetings. If you are part of the SPS community and would like to attend one or more of the three open meetings, please select the dates when you will attend. Dates and meeting topics are: Friday 3/3, 12-12:30 - Registered Workshop Participants OnlyWorkshop Introduction Friday 3/10, 12-1:30 - Open to SPS communityDiversity of RepresentationWhere and how do students see themselves represented in your field through your course? Who is depicted in course materials? Who is presented as an authority in the field? Friday 3/17, 12-1:30 - Open to SPS communityInclusion & AccessibilityHow do students access content? How do they access concepts? Does everyone have equal and equitable access to the full range of materials and ideas in your course? What 5 things should all faculty know about accessibility in online learning? Friday 3/24, 12-1:30 - Open to SPS communityStudent Voice and ChoiceHow are students invited to represent themselves within the course? Within the field? How can they be given the chance to contribute to the knowledge community of the classroom and of the field at large? Friday 3/31, 12-1:30 - Registered Workshop Participants OnlyWorkshop Project Presentations If you have questions, please email Sarah Kresh in OFDIT (sarah.kresh@cuny.edu) See more details •	25
26	27 Panopto for SPS Facu… Panopto for SPS Faculty March 27, 2023 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Creating video content just got a whole lot easier! Whether you need to record a welcome message, a lecture, or a recorded announcement for your class, Panopto, the SPS video platform integrated into Blackboard, can make it happen in a few clicks. Participants will learn how to access Panopto and its features through Blackboard, focusing on a workflow to create, organize, and publish your video content. Special attention will be paid to viewing permissions, sharing content between courses, and captioning. Join us to boost your video skills! - Monday March 27 at 11AM Register here See more details •	28 Screencast-O-Matic: … Screencast-O-Matic: Effective Editing Techniques March 28, 2023 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Screencast-O-Matic (SCOM), a powerful video creating and editing tool, is available to SPS Faculty. In this session, participants will learn effective editing techniques that will direct your audience’s attention to what’s important. Used in conjunction with Panopto, the SPS video hosting platform, SCOM makes advanced editing features simple. The result, you can produce a polished video with a few simple steps. - Tuesday March 28 at 3pm Register here See more details •	29	30 Getting Started with… Getting Started with Blackboard Mobile March 30, 2023 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM In this session, we will explore the Blackboard Mobile application and gain an understanding of how students experience learning on the go. We will also discuss the major interface differences between Blackboard Mobile and Blackboard for Desktop and best practices for online course design for mobile devices. Thursday, March 30 at 2pm Register Here See more details •	31 Open for All Worksho… Open for All Workshop Live Meetings March 31, 2023 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM Open Spring at CUNY SPS 2023 Open for All Workshop & Discussion Series Using OER & Open Pedagogy to foster DEIA in online courses As part of the Open for All Workshop, March 3-31, there will be 5 live meetings: - an introduction for registered workshop participants - three thematic discussions open to the SPS community - a final meeting for registered workshop participants If you are participating in the workshop, please register here for all five meetings. If you are part of the SPS community and would like to attend one or more of the three open meetings, please select the dates when you will attend. Dates and meeting topics are: Friday 3/3, 12-12:30 - Registered Workshop Participants OnlyWorkshop Introduction Friday 3/10, 12-1:30 - Open to SPS communityDiversity of RepresentationWhere and how do students see themselves represented in your field through your course? Who is depicted in course materials? Who is presented as an authority in the field? Friday 3/17, 12-1:30 - Open to SPS communityInclusion & AccessibilityHow do students access content? How do they access concepts? Does everyone have equal and equitable access to the full range of materials and ideas in your course? What 5 things should all faculty know about accessibility in online learning? Friday 3/24, 12-1:30 - Open to SPS communityStudent Voice and ChoiceHow are students invited to represent themselves within the course? Within the field? How can they be given the chance to contribute to the knowledge community of the classroom and of the field at large? Friday 3/31, 12-1:30 - Registered Workshop Participants OnlyWorkshop Project Presentations If you have questions, please email Sarah Kresh in OFDIT (sarah.kresh@cuny.edu) See more details •