UC faculty and staff: complete updated electronic accessibility awareness training

The Accessibility Network at the University of Cincinnati has released an update to the Blackboard course titled EIT_01_EACCESSIBILITY eAccessibility: An Introduction. This course provides a foundational understanding of electronic accessibility and the university’s commitment as outlined in the EIT Accessibility policy.

Who must take this course?

UC is responsible for providing this training to all faculty and staff who create, purchase or contribute to the university’s online environment, including Blackboard, UC websites, third-party software and the content provided in any of these. 

This course is required if any or all of the following apply to you:

• You are a faculty member who uses Blackboard or any online materials for teaching and learning.
• You are a staff member who creates or posts Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, images, PDFs, audio files, video files or multimedia to Blackboard to support faculty in course creation.
• You create or post images, PDFs, video files or audio files to a UC-affiliated website.
• You are involved in the purchasing process for UC software or applications, either centrally or in your unit.

When does this course need to be completed?

It is important that UC faculty and staff complete this course on or before Friday, Sept. 14, as an introduction to making UC’s online environment more inclusive and accessible. 

What is this course about?

The information in this training will help you identify ways you can make your electronic content accessible to all students, as well as how eAccessibility contributes to student success. 

About the course:

The complete course takes approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete.

The course does not have to be completed in one sitting.

Each of the five sequential modules includes:

• A video to introduce concepts about eAccessibility.
• A knowledge check to help reinforce concepts (must pass with 100%).

How do I get started?

Many faculty and staff have been enrolled automatically; however, if you are not enrolled please refer to the Blackboard Self Enrollment Guide. Additional resources about accessibility can also be found at the end of this article.

Whom do I contact?

If you encounter any technical difficulties with this eAccessibility: An Introduction course, please chat with 24/7 Canopy Support or contact the UCIT Help Desk. If you need more information about accessibility, please contact Accessibility.Network@uc.edu.

Thank you so much for your support in moving UC beyond accessibility compliance toward a universally designed online experience accessible for all.

Additional Resources:

• The Accessibility Network is a campus-wide program, sponsored by the Office of the Provost, to make electronic materials (websites, online courses, software, applications etc.) more accessible. The website is a great source of valuable information on eAccessibility, including checklists, best practices, tutorials and workshop information.
• If the course does not appear on your course list, please self-enroll. Instructions can be found in IT@UC’s Knowledge Base article Blackboard Self Enrollment Guide.
• A quick tips article for incorporating accessibility into eLearning materials can be found in IT@UC’s Knowledge Base article Accessibility for eLearning Materials.
• A quick tips article about accessibility in UC’s web content management system, can be found in IT@UC’s Knowledge Base article Accessibility for Web Authors.