Faculty and Staff Resources

At Berea College, we encourage faculty to look at course design through the lens of inclusion and usability. You don’t have to overhaul your entire curriculum overnight. Implementing small, intentional changes can significantly improve student persistence and engagement. We utilize two complementary frameworks to help guide your choices:

• Universal Design for Learning (UDL): This framework focuses on pedagogy. We encourage using CAST’s UDL Guidelines or the Universal Design for Learning Checklist to explore flexible ways to engage students, deliver content, and design alternative assessments.

• The POUR Framework: This framework focuses on digital basics. While UDL helps you design your overall teaching strategy, POUR gives you four simple checkpoints to ensure your everyday digital materials (like PDFs and Moodle pages) are technically accessible:

  • P – Perceivable: Can students easily see and hear the content? (e.g., creating accessible Word documents with alt text).

  • O – Operable: Can students navigate the digital layout seamlessly? (e.g., using clean heading styles so a keyboard or screen reader can parse the text).

  • U – Understandable: Is your course structure clear and predictable? (e.g., keeping a consistent, intuitive weekly format on Moodle).

  • R – Robust: Does your content work well across different devices and assistive technologies? (e.g., using the Foxit Remediation Guide so PDFs aren’t flat, unreadable images).

Document & Presentation Design

• Instructions and Template for an Accessible Syllabus: Step-by-step guidance on setting up an inclusive layout.

• Creating Accessible Microsoft Word Documents: Best practices for headings, alt text, and font clarity.

• Foxit PDF Remediation Guide: How to check and remediate PDF files for screen-reader compatibility.

• Creating Accessible Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations: Core design rules for clean, navigable slide decks. (We will nest Duarte’s 5 Steps Guide and the 5 Steps Video Tutorial right beneath this as supplementary support so they don’t clutter the main layout).

Multimedia & Digital Graphics

• Video Captioning Tools: Learn how to quickly implement captions using free online tools like Amara.org or Subtitle Horse.

• Platform-Specific Guides:

  • YouTube: Edit Existing Captions | Create Custom Captions

  • Zoom: Closed Captioning Setup | Automatically Transcribe Cloud Recordings

  • Vimeo: Uploading Captions

• Graphics & Visuals: Refer to CSUN’s Best Practices for Flyers and Infographics to ensure your campus promotional materials are accessible.

• Writing Audio Descriptions: A quick guide to rendering visual media accessible to students with visual impairments.

Your syllabus statement sets the tone for your course climate. We encourage faculty to move away from compliance-heavy “ADA boilerplate” and instead frame accessibility as a collaborative partnership in learning.

Recommended Statement (Focus on Shared Design)

Berea College values diversity and seeks to create learning environments that are equitable, inclusive, and fully accessible. I am committed to supporting the learning of every student in this class.

If you encounter digital, physical, or instructional barriers in this course, please reach out to me as soon as possible so we can look at design adjustments. You are also encouraged to establish official accommodations by contacting the Disability and Accessibility Services (DAS) office:

• Location: Hutchins Library Annex, Room 0247

• Phone: 859-985-3327

• Email: dasoffice@berea.edu

Because accommodations are not retroactive, I encourage you to connect with DAS and me early in the term. However, you maintain the right to request accommodations at any point during the semester if new barriers arise. All conversations regarding disability or health conditions will be kept strictly confidential.

Alternative Options & Institutional Examples

• Instructions and Template for an Accessible Syllabus: Download our structural template to ensure your entire syllabus layout—not just the accessibility statement—is optimized for screen readers and clear navigation.

• External Examples: For further inspiration on how different disciplines frame inclusion, you can explore public models hosted by institutions like the University of Arizona, Central Florida, or Ohio State.

Quick Tips for Inclusive Syllabi

• Keep Contact Info Updated: Always ensure the DAS phone number, email, and room location (859-985-3327, Hutchins Library Annex, Room 0247) are accurate.

• The Power of Framing: Presenting the statement verbally on day one alongside your office hours shows students that navigating barriers is a normal, welcome part of academic persistence at Berea.

Rethinking Assessments: Alternatives to Exams

Moving away from high-stakes, traditional exams is one of the most effective ways to reduce test anxiety, minimize academic integrity friction, and allow students to demonstrate true mastery of your course content.

• A Menu of Assessment Options: Explore diverse assessment rubrics and field-tested strategies hosted at The Faculty Room.

• Flexible Final Projects: Learn how to apply CAST’s UDL Guidelines to design assignments where students choose their media format (e.g., written papers, podcasts, or digital video presentations).

• Experiential, Real-World Assignments: Check out the innovative “Open Pedagogy” models available through our Open Educational Resources (OER) and Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) program, where students create public-facing resources instead of taking a final test.

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Quick Tools & Daily Administration

Test Accommodations in Moodle

• How to Create an Override to Extend Quiz Time in Moodle: A technical, 3-step walkthrough on how to quickly adjust individual timer parameters for students with documented extended testing accommodations.

Daily Communication Basics

When sending assignments, campus announcements, or class-wide updates, small formatting choices ensure every student can read your message.

• Email Accessibility Checklist: A quick, local guide on formatting text, links, and attachments properly.

• Harvard Guide to Email Accessibility: An excellent external deep-dive into digital communication best practices for higher education.

Recommended Trainings

• Kansas Accessibility Resource Network (KSARN): This is a goldmine for faculty professional development. It offers 10 free, online, on-demand courses tailored specifically for higher education. It covers general Impairment Awareness alongside practical training for accessible face-to-face and conference presentations.
• National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials (NCRTM): Perfect for faculty who want quick, bite-sized tutorials and brief videos on creating accessible environments without sitting through a full multi-week course.

Disability Etiquette & Inclusive Language

• The Faculty Room (University of Washington): This is one of the most comprehensive spaces for institutional culture. It features excellent, concrete guides on classroom communication, handling disclosures, and maintaining an inclusive environmental climate.
• Information Accessibility in Learning Project: While great for technical design, their curated repository includes deep dives into how to structure text and audio communication respectfully and accessibly.