This page contains accessibility resources that pertain directly to Brightspace along with principles shared by the larger Brock University community.
Brightspace offers multiple ways of presenting information and sharing resources, and can facilitate a variety of methods for students to submit course work. The resources below aim to help instructors create multimodal materials that build towards an accessible learning experience.
See our article on accommodations in Brightspace for instructions on setting up accommodations for students in a Brightspace site.
Contents
Related
Recommended tools for accessibility
Screen Readers
Users with vision loss use a software tool called a screen reader to read out the text from their screen along. This includes text labels for non-text items. This is sometimes accompanied by a refreshable Braille display to experience the content from the screen reader in Braille via touch.
D2L recommends the following screen readers for use with Brightspace
JAWS, the most popular commercial screen reader on Windows devices.
NVDA, a free screen reader for Windows devices.
Narrator, a screen reader made by Microsoft and built into Windows computers.
VoiceOver, a screen reader made by Apple and built into Mac computers, iPads, and iPhones.
“Building Accessible Content in Brightspace”
“Building Accessible Content in Brightspace” is a collection of instructional materials created by Kyle Mackie which provides insight into how Brightspace’s various tools can be used to create accessible content. It can be accessed through Brightspace and is open to Brock staff and faculty members.
Follow this link to enroll in the “Building Accessible Content in Brightspace” site and then click Enroll in Course. The course can then be accessed through the Brightspace homepage or the course selector. All materials are in the site’s Content area.
CPI’s own “Brightspace at Brock” site contains the same information, along with a collection of more general training resources.
Centre for Pedagogical Innovation
The Centre for Pedagogical Innovation offers a wealth of resources to help instructors with accessible curriculum design, including explanations on and testaments to the benefits of accessible learning.
If instructors wish to meet to discuss designing an accessible curriculum, they can reach out to cpi@brocku.ca.
AODA and Human Rights Training
The content of the “AODA and Human Rights Training” site is a mandatory training component for Brock staff but can continue to offer valuable resources and insights into various accessibility and human rights concerns. Instructors can revisit areas of importance or review the resources offered through the Brightspace site at any time.
Most staff and faculty will already have access, but anyone can enroll or re-enroll in the "AODA and Human Rights Training" site. The course can be accessed through the Brightspace homepage or the course selector.
Brock Human Rights and Equity
The Human Rights and Equity area of Brock University’s website provides general accessibility considerations that should be kept in mind when building a course site. Guiding principles answer the question:
How can you make your teaching and learning more accessible?
Applying three basic principles in your curriculum design, content and delivery can make your course more accessible.
-Provide Multiple Means of Representation (the “what” of learning).
-Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression (the “how” of learning).
-Provide Multiple Means of Engagement (the “why” of learning).