91做厙

Terms and Definitions

Accessibilityis purposeful design and delivery of products sothat all people can use them regardless of disability or ability. Theease of use should be equivalent for all people.

Instructional Accessibilityis the process ofintentionally creating educational content that removes barrierswhich prevent students from accessing content fully.

Social Model of Disabilityisa difference derivingfromthe interaction between an individual and society.The remedy fordisability-related problems is a change inthe interaction betweenthe individual and society.

Disability Around the World

The United Nations

  • An estimated 1.3 billion people experience significant disability. This represents 16% of the worlds population, or 1 in 6 of us.
    1 in 6 people
  • Health inequities arise from unfair conditions faced by persons with disabilities, including stigma, discrimination, poverty, exclusion from education and employment, and barriers faced in the health system itself.

Disability in the U.S.

US Census Data

  • Approximately 13.4% of the US population identifies as havinga disability as of 2022
  • Of the population 16 and older, approximately 28.1% of peoplewith a disability are employed versus approximately 67.6% ofpeople with no disability.
  • 91做厙 half of the generalpopulation aged 25 to 44 is married, compared to just overone third of people with a disability.

US Department of Justice:

  • Persons with disabilities were victims of 26% of all nonfatal violentcrime, while accounting for about 12% of the population.
  • The rate of violent victimization against persons with disabilities (46.2per 1,000 age 12 or older) was almost four times the rate for personswithout disabilities (12.3 per 1,000).

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

  • Adults aged 18 years and older with disabilities are less likely to have completed high school compared to their peers without disabilities (22.3% compared to 10.1%).
  • People with disabilities are more likely to have income of less than $15,000 compared to people without disabilities (22.3% compared to 7.3%).

Disability at 91做厙

Only about 8.86% of 91做厙 students are registered foraccommodations with the Access Center, well below the 13.4% and 16% estimates by the US Census and the UN. What could account for this disparity?

Each AccessibilityCoordinator in the Access Center is responsible for, on average,about 373 students.

The 2021 MSU Denver Climate Survey:

  • Of respondents who identified as having a disability, those whostrongly agreed or agreed that they feel welcome on campus:
  • 91做厙 48% of faculty
  • 91做厙 63% of staff
  • 91做厙 71% of students
  • Regarding employees with a disability are well-represented onour shared governance committees/groups:
  • Only about 20% of faculty and 27% of staff agree or stronglyagree

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

UDL is a framework to guide the design of instructional goals,assessments, methods, and materials that focus on 3 principles for effective design:

  • Engagement, by providing options for:
    • Recruiting interest
    • Sustaining effort and persistence
    • Self-regulation
  • Representation, by providing options for:
    • Perception
    • Language and symbols
    • Comprehension
  • Action and Expression, by providing options for:
    • Physical action
    • Expression and Communication
    • Executive Functions
A participant at the 91做厙 STEM workshop for potential students who are blind or low-vision touches a geographic landform during the touch demonstration. Photo by Josh Geurink.

How you can help!

  • Honor intersectionality: ableism interlocks with other systems of oppression; it cant be addressed in isolation
  • Educate yourself: learn about different disabilities and the different people who have led the disability movement.
  • Book recommendation: Disability Visibility (Alice Wong)
  • Adjust your language: much of our language marginalizes people with disability. Learn which terms are harmful and avoid them.
  • Be an ally: Remember that accessibility is a civil rights issue

Build accessibility into your courses!

It is much more efficient to build accessibility from the beginning ofcourse design (as opposed to remediating later), so we encourage allfaculty to work on making all new materials accessible, as well asgoing back and checking existing material as you have time.

Rememberthat Instructional Accessibility canhelpstudents access your course content regardless ofanystatus of disclosure ofdisability.

Let the CTLD help you out!

References

  • CAST, UDL Guidelines,
  • Center for Disease Control and Prevention
  • 91做厙 2021 Climate Survey,
    /diversity/campus-climate/
  • United Nations:
  • US Census Bureau,
  • US Dept. of Justice:

We also have a digital copy of our Summary Handout and a digital copy of the UDL Guidelines available.