Faculty Accessibility Ambassador Project

The Office of Disability Resources is looking for faculty members to join our "Faculty Accessibility Ambassador Project”. We are now recruiting 24 faculty members from across UR colleges and departments who are interested in receiving free training to become our first cohort of “Accessibility Ambassadors”. We will provide year-long support and training specifically related to disability issues, facilitating accommodations, creating accessible materials, and implementing Universal Design for Learning strategies in their classrooms. This exciting opportunity for faculty training is being made possible by funding from the NY State Education Department Enhancing Supports and Services for Students with Disabilities Grant for Postsecondary Success (SWDPS).

Register Here

Description of Project:

  • A faculty cohort will complete the CAST Universal Design for Learning in Postsecondary Education training in Spring23. Information on this eight-week course is available below.
  • The faculty cohort will explore ways to apply the UDL training for their Spring23 courses.
  • The faculty cohort will also complete a series of UR Office of Disability Resources (ODR) Training Sessions in Fall22. These ODR Training Sessions will include information on ODR Services and Accommodations, Faculty/Student Rights and Responsibilities, Communicating with Students with Disabilities, Inclusion and Disability as Diversity, Working with Access Providers (Captionists/Interpreters), Creating Accessible Materials, and Online/In-Person Course Accessibility issues

Project Timeline (Project Time Period is 9/1/22 – 8/31/23):

  • Sept 2022: Recruit/register faculty for September CAST UDL training
  • Oct - Dec 2022: ODR Training Sessions
  • Jan – March 2023: CAST UDL training, Spring23 Dates TBD
  • April – May 2023: Wrap up

Expected Outcomes:

Upon completion of the program at the end of the 22-23 academic year, participating faculty will be expected to:

  • Have gained the knowledge and skills to apply UDL principles and create inclusive classroom experiences for their students
  • Be able to serve as a resource to their schools and departments by being able to share information about services for students with disabilities, creating accessible materials, and UDL instructional strategies
  • Create short videos/narratives about their experiences in the program and the benefits of universal design and accessibility to be posted on our Ambassador Program website, social media, etc.

Further Information about the Spring23 UDL in Postsecondary Education from CAST:

This hybrid course will prepare you to apply the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework in your courses and programs. The content includes strategies to revamp learning goals, materials, technologies, methods, and assessments to remove barriers to learning for students. Creating and procuring accessible educational materials and technologies is emphasized as a critical aspect of UDL implementation. Upon course completion you will be eligible to submit a portfolio to receive the Postsecondary UDL credential.

This 8-week course consists of 4 modules, each lasting two-weeks in length. Each module will have one large-group, 90-minute, live Zoom session, one 60-minute facilitated small group meeting and self-paced learning.

Cost:

FREE to our cohort of faculty members, thanks to the NY State Education Department Enhancing Supports and Services for Students with Disabilities Grant for Postsecondary Success (SWDPS)

Live Zoom Sessions – Large Group – 12 p.m. ET – Spring23 Dates TBD

  • Module 1, Getting started with UDL 
  • Module 2, Accessibility in the context of UDL
  • Module 3, Addressing self-regulation through UDL 
  • Module 4, Re-envisioning assessment with a UDL lens 
  • Module 4, Culmination 

Live sessions will be recorded and posted on the website for those who may need to miss a session, though we encourage you to be present, if possible, to get the most of your learning experience.

Small Group Facilitated Meetings

Small group meetings will be scheduled the second week of each module. Prior to the course beginning, we will send a survey with several different meeting times to choose from. You will meet with the same facilitator and small group each module.

The purpose of your small group is for you to share your practices and experiences with one another and to use one another and the knowledge and skills you get from this course to move your own practices forward.