Experiencing inaccessible IT? Please let us know.
The University of Washington (UW) strives to ensure that people with disabilities have access to all services and content, including those delivered using information technology (IT). If you experience a barrier that affects your ability to access UW websites, videos, on-line forms, or other IT, please send a detailed message to [email protected]
For additional issues or needs related to accessibility or accommodations at the UW, please see our Getting Help page.
Teaching and Learning Online: Accessibility Resources
The University of Washington (UW) has transitioned to an online education model through Spring quarter 2020 in light of COVID-19. The following resources are provided as a starting point for students with disabilities who are faced with learning in a fully online environment, as well as for instructors who are teaching online and need to ensure their course content is accessible to all learners, including those with disabilities.
For Students
Students with documented disabilities can request accommodations such as conversion of print materials into alternative formats, captioning of videos, and extra time on assignments and tests. For additional information, contact Disability Resources for Students (DRS).
All UW students, with or without documented disabilities, can convert course materials to alternative formats (such as HTML, tagged PDF, ePub, electronic braille, or MP3 audio) independently of DRS, using either of the following tools:
Note that both of the above tools are automated; therefore, the quality of the output varies and is highly dependent on the contents and quality of the original file.
For help using specific technologies, including keyboard shortcuts and instructions for screen reader users, see the section below on Accessibility of Technologies Used at the UW.
For Instructors
UW Information Technology and other units on campus have compiled a toolkit of technology recommendations for teaching online. See Prepare for When Classes Can’t Meet. Another helpful resource is Teaching Remotely from the Center for Teaching and Learning.
When choosing and using technologies to support teaching, it’s important to understand how those technologies can impact accessibility for students with disabilities. The following web pages on the current website explain the issues and provide steps and resources to help you ensure all your students have equal access to your online content.
Accessibility of Technologies Used at the UW
Following is a collection of accessibility-related help pages for particular technologies that are commonly used at the UW in support of online teaching and learning. These resources include tips for instructors, as well as keyboard shortcuts and step-by-step instructions for using the tools with screen readers.
Still have questions or concerns about accessibility? Please contact UW-IT Accessible Technology Services via [email protected] with specific questions. Also, please consider attending an upcoming training or event or joining our growing community of IT Accessibility Liaisons.
