Ready, Set, Accessible: Fall Course Prep Day

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Ready, Set, Accessible! Session Resources

Event Date: Monday, August 3, 2026

This page provides access to recordings, slides, and resources from Ready, Set, Accessible!, a half-day professional development event focused on practical strategies for creating more accessible, usable, and inclusive course materials.

Faculty explored how to evaluate course resources for accessibility, use AI tools to create accessible alternatives, and design learning experiences that support students with diverse sensory, cognitive, technological, and learning needs.

Session 1: Digital Accessibility 101: A Coffee Chat Refresher

Facilitator: Nancy O'Neill, Executive Director, 蘑菇视频 Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation

An introductory session covering foundational concepts in digital accessibility for course materials.

Resources:

  • (YouTube recording)
  • (Slide deck)

Session 2: Before You Assign It: Checking Course Materials for Accessibility

Facilitator: Haley Cristea, Instructional Designer, Salisbury University

Not all course materials are equally usable for students. This session covered practical strategies for evaluating course resources before assigning them, including how to identify common accessibility barriers in PDFs, websites, scanned readings, videos, slides, and publisher resources.

Key Topics:

  • Common accessibility barriers in course materials
  • Evaluating PDFs, videos, and digital resources
  • Prioritizing fixes and finding accessible alternatives
  • Working with assistive technologies

Resources:

  • (YouTube recording)

Session 3: The 10-Minute Assignment Makeover

Facilitator: Teresa Valais, Senior Instructional Designer, Towson University

This interactive session demonstrated how to pair generative AI with the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework to redesign assignments quickly and effectively. Participants learned how transparent assignment design reduces ambiguity, strengthens alignment with learning outcomes, and fosters greater learner agency.

Key Topics:

  • Using AI to redesign assignments efficiently
  • Applying the TILT framework for transparency
  • Communicating purpose, process, and success criteria
  • Creating assignments that promote strategic, reflective learning

Resources:

  • (YouTube video recording)
  • (Presentation Slides)
  • (Link shared)
  • (Link shared)

Session 4: Sense-Sational Design: A Full Spectrum Approach

Facilitator: Karen Silverstrim, Instructional Designer/Technologist, Salisbury University

Accessible course design extends beyond fixing documents to creating learning experiences that offer students multiple ways to access information, engage with ideas, and demonstrate understanding. This session introduced a full-spectrum approach to accessible and inclusive learning design across visual, auditory, cognitive, linguistic, and interactive dimensions.

Key Topics:

  • Multimodal instruction and content delivery
  • Supporting visual, auditory, cognitive, and linguistic access
  • Designing meaningful, accessible interactions
  • Reducing unnecessary barriers in online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses

Resources:

  • (YouTube video recording)