Accessibility bonus round

We've reviewed the "absolutely must do" practices. Here are a few "good things to consider" tips. They benefit all students and can make your life simpler.

Write clear instructions

When you're not in a classroom with students, you're not there to field their questions about what you want from them when they're completing a task. With this in mind, be proactive when shaping your students' first encounter with an assignment.

Be explicit and simplify language

Tell your students exactly what you want them to do. Be way more explicit than you think you need to. If you want students to follow a link, tell them to click the link. If you want them to type in the text box below, tell them to type in the text box below. Don't assume they'll be able to intuit what you want them to do.

Simplify your language when giving instructions. Consider whether your students will understand your terminology. Define jargon, idioms, and acronyms. Try to avoid terms with ambiguous or multiple meanings. (Perfect example, English people: what does discuss mean in essay instructions?) When in doubt, define it or simplify it.

Additional recommendations:

• Write the due date and submission type in the assignment description. You might be surprised at how many students will skip past that information in the assignment details.
• Give instructions one at a time. "Click here, then here, then here" or "write a summary of the text, then respond to it" can be confusing for students, even if you don't think so. Use step-by-step lists: "Step 1: read the research report. Step 2: write a summary. Step 3: write a response."

Give instructions every time

So, it's week 8. Students have been turning in the same assignment every week in exactly the same format. Why do you need to give them the instructions again?

Imagine a time when you've been cognitively overwhelmed, tired, or distracted. You might forget how to do things you do all the time. The same is true for your students. Reminding them of format and other requirements and how to turn the assignment in will ease just a little of that cognitive burden. This also helps students with autism understand that the instructions for Assignment 5 are the same for Assignments 1-4; you can't assume they'll pick up on that.

You can easily copy and paste directions from one assignment to the next. 

Use white space and keep it simple

Readers who have trouble reading or focusing benefit from a visually pared-down approach.

Avoid big blocks of text. Short paragraphs help a reader focus on smaller chunks of information without being overwhelmed. 

Minimize distractions like too many decorative images. A busy page makes it hard to focus.

Keep it consistent

Everything a student looks at in your course should remain consistent. If you write assignment directions in a certain order, keep it in that order. If you use a certain theme for your PowerPoint presentations, keep using that theme.  Predictability and consistency eases the cognitive load for all students, not just those with disabilities.

If you want students to do anything differently than they've done before, or if you need to make a change, make this as clear as you can. Again, be explicit: tell them that this is a change from what they're used to. 

Additional recommendation: students with autism often appreciate it when you give reasons for instructions or ideas that deviate from what they're used to.