What Higher Education Learned About the Accessibility of Online Opportunities During a Pandemic

Abstract

The pivot of on-site services and formal and informal learning opportunities to online formats as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on access barriers for people with various types of disabilities. This is true in spite of legal obligations for institutions to make their offerings accessible and the existence of well-established principles, guidelines, and practices for making technology, resources, and pedagogy accessible to this group. The author of this article presents a Universal Design in Higher Education (UDHE) Framework as a promising practice that can lead to learning opportunities and student services that are inclusive of all participants.