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While UDL largely focuses on course, syllabus, and assessment design to create access in the classroom, it is important not to forget that the physical environment your students learn in plays a major role in their access to course material. While student’s needs will vary, as will your capacity to meet them, some basic elements you can consider when thinking about access include:

Visuals:

• Do your slides/course materials have  (4.5:1)?
• If you are writing on a whiteboard, are the pens available to you of suitable contrast (consider both colour and how much ink remains)?
• If you are writing on a blackboard or whiteboard, is your writing large enough to be viewed from the back of the room?
• Is the lighting adequate to participate in class activities or see the front of the room?
• Do you know where outlets are in the room in case a student needs to use an electronic magnifier?
• Are you facing your students so they can see you speaking?
• If you are wearing a mask in your classroom, do you have a clear one available in the case of a student who is d/Deaf or hard of hearing (HOH)?
• Can you make your course handouts available in a larger font if needed?

Sound:

• Are you projecting your voice?
• Is there a microphone available for your use? Do you know how to use it?
• Do you know how to connect to the speakers in the instructional space if you have video or audio components to your teaching?
• Is the door to the instructional space closed to minimize auditory clutter?
• If you are using any video or audio content, are closed captions available?
• Are you facing your students so your voice isn’t muffled?
• Are you verbalizing what is written on the board/slides for those who may be unable to read them from a distance?
• Can you repeat the questions that students ask to ensure that they were heard?
• If you have students who are d/Deaf or HOH, do you have seats close enough to you to allow for better access?

Mobility:

• If you are in an active learning classroom, are the chairs positioned in a way that allows students with mobility aids the freedom to move around?
• Can you schedule in breaks to your instructional time to give students the time to move around, stretch, stim, or attend to medical requirements as needed?
• Do you know what the emergency muster points are and protocol is for wheelchair users in the building you’re teaching in?

While you may not be able to accommodate everyone’s needs in your classroom, and some students may have conflicting needs, keeping the above suggestions in mind can help improve access.

For information on how to create an accessible laboratory environment, please see the AccessibleCampus resource .