In partnership with the CUNY Office of Student Inclusion Initiatives and Disability Programs, the Office of Faculty Affairs is offering faculty training and development on Disability & Accessibility during the 2023-2024 academic year. This initiative started in Fall, 2023, with a 3-part series about 1) disability rights in education, 2) New York State IT policy and your class, and 3) best practices for teaching students with disabilities. Based on attendee feedback, in Spring 2023, we are offering in-depth collaborative workshops on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Accessibility Drop-In Office Hours to provide additional support.
Applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Principles to Your Teaching
Fridays from 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.
The UDL framework asks us to expect and prepare for students who learn differently in any classroom. The goal is to provide multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression into course design, instructional materials, teaching methods, and assessments to support the “why, what, and how” of learning.
The sessions will start with a presentation breaking down each of the 3 principles and providing examples for the accompanying guidelines, followed by Q&A. Attendees will then have a chance to work with colleagues to brainstorm ways to apply those principles to their courses. Bring your ideas and questions to these interactive sessions. Click on the session names below to register. ASL and CART will be available for all sessions. Sessions will be recorded and recordings will be posted on this page after each event.
- Part 1: How to Provide Multiple Means of Engagement
Friday, March 29, 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.
- Part 2: How to Provide Multiple Means of Representation
April 12, 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.
- Part 3: How to Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression
May 3, 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Did you attend or view any of the UDL sessions? Let us know what you think!
Accessibility Office Hours (drop-in or schedule an appointment)
Tuesdays from 4-5 p.m. drop-in, Tuesdays from 5-6 p.m., one-on-one 15-minute appointments
Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. drop-in, Thursdays from 1-2 p.m., one-on-one 15-minute appointments
Develop an accessibility practice by applying your understanding of accessibility principles and Universal Design for Learning to your course materials and instructional design. These informal sessions are for CUNY faculty who want to improve the accessibility of their courses. Feel free to visit at any time during office hours to get feedback on course components, guidance on software, answers to technical questions, and to increase your overall accessibility knowledge.
Group office hours are organized by suggested topic areas, but other support can also be provided during this time. Click the dates to register for a session:
- Create more engaging online learning environments.
April 2, 4-5 p.m. and April 4, 12-1 p.m. - Develop alternative forms of assessment.
April 16, 4-5 p.m. and April 18, 12-1 p.m. - Make sure your D2L Brightspace course is accessible.
May 7, 4-5 p.m. and May 9, 12-1 p.m.
Schedule a one-on-one meeting Tuesdays from 5-6 p.m. or Thursdays from 1-2 p.m
All workshops will be led by Dr. Jessica Murray, Director of Digital Media and Accessibility for the Central Office for Faculty Affairs. Contact jessica.murray@cuny.edu with any questions.
Fall 2023 Special Series for CUNY Faculty: Disability & Accessibility
This year is the 50th anniversary of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, notably, Section 504, the first federal civil rights law to bar discrimination against people with disabilities for programs receiving federal funding. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 strengthened anti-discrimination protections. Since 1999, New York State law has also required that all Information Communication Technology (ICT) at publicly funded universities be accessible to people with disabilities. Despite best efforts, at times CUNY has fallen short in its actions to ensure equitable access to students with disabilities. In Spring 2023, CUNY entered into a Voluntary Compliance Agreement (VCA) with the U.S. Department of Justice after a complaint from a disabled student who fell behind after not receiving appropriate accommodations, including accessible course materials.
As part of its commitment to the VCA, the CUNY Office of Student Inclusion Initiatives and Disability Programs sponsored a 3-part series of virtual events, open to all faculty and staff. Presentations and recordings are available below. This is part of an ongoing effort to train incoming faculty and inform current faculty about the law as well as the benefits of accessibility and disability inclusion.
Part 1: Disability Rights in Education
Friday, October 27, 2-3 pm
- Components of the 2023 Voluntary Compliance Agreement
- ADA Title II and Higher Education
- Disability types and common accommodations
Part 2: New York State IT Accessibility Policy and Your Class
Friday, November 17, 2-3 pm
- New York policy on accessible Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
- Disability types and features of accessible content
- Tools and resources to make content accessible
Part 3: Best Practices for Teaching Students with Disabilities
Friday, December 8, 2-3 pm
- Disabled student experiences seeking accommodations (and how to do better)
- Developing an accessibility practice to become a better teacher
- How to improve communication between students, faculty, and disability services staff