Open Educational Resources

Open Educational Resources & Accessibility

Faculty choosing to use or develop OER materials should be mindful of the materials they choose when researching whether their materials are accessible to student with disabilities.   Students with disabilities will interact with your course materials using many types of assistive technology such as:

  • Screen readers for users who are blind
  • Screen readers for students who have learning disabilities
  • Audiobooks as an alternative to your printed textbook
  • Screen enlargers for users with vision impairments
  • Braille display and output for users who are blind

You can read more about choosing appropriate instructional formats on the Disability Services website.

You will want to consider the following factors when selecting Open Educational Resources.  

  • Accuracy/ Quality of Content
  • Relevance
  • Production Quality 
  • Accessibility 
  • Interactivity
  • Cultural Relevance and Sensitivity
  • Licensing
  • Ease of adaptability for your own purposes

To learn more about adopting Open Educational Resources please review the Luria Library OER resources website.

Do you need help in identifying whether your materials meet accessibility standards?  

Start by using the following ACCESSIBILITY CHECKLIST to guide your review. 

**Resource: Improving the Digital Accessibility of OER: A reflective Guide

For additional questions, please contact:
________________________________
Laurie Vasquez, Faculty 
Assistive Technology Specialist
Disability Services and Program for Students (DSPS) 
and the Faculty Resource Center (FRC).