Crafting college courses with all learners in mind isn't just a nice-to-have, it's a must-have for an enriching and effective educational experience. When we intentionally design for diversity – considering varied learning styles, backgrounds, abilities, and prior knowledge – we create classrooms where every student has the opportunity to thrive. This inclusive approach not only ensures equitable access to knowledge but also fosters a richer learning environment for everyone. Diverse perspectives spark more dynamic discussions, encourage critical thinking from multiple angles, and ultimately prepare graduates to navigate and contribute to our increasingly complex and diverse world.

Accessibility standards represent all the mandatory requirements for all learners to be able to have access in a course. In person and online classes come with their own unique, but sometimes overlapping, accessibility standards. Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA obligates educational institutions to make their courses accessible to all students. Accessibility standards can be easily met using proactive design approaches like Universal Design for Learning and POUR. 

Closed captions, transcription, and subtitles are essential tools for creating accessible and inclusive learning environments, although they serve slightly different purposes. Transcription is the process of converting audio content into a written text format, capturing every spoken word, as well as significant non-speech sounds. Subtitles, on the other hand, are time-synchronized text that appears on screen, typically translating dialogue in video content for viewers who don't understand the spoken language. Closed captions are also time-synchronized text displayed on screen, but they are specifically designed for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. They include not only dialogue but also cues for background noises, speaker identification, and other relevant auditory information that contributes to understanding the content.

The importance of these tools extends beyond accessibility for individuals with hearing impairments. They benefit English language learners, individuals in noisy environments, and those who prefer to learn visually. They also improve comprehension and retention for all students.

To learn more about how to implement these processes using university tools, please visit the Knowledge Base.