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About
CTAD
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| Curriculum
Transformation and Disability |
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The population of students with disabilities on college
campuses has increased significantly in the last ten years. Today,
9.2% of first-year college students report having a disability.
Yet despite these gains in access, students with disabilities still
are less likely than their nondisabled peers to complete their
education. This disparity troubles many faculty and administrators,
who long have recognized the importance of improving student retention
rates. Most faculty and administrators welcome the opportunity
to learn more about diverse student populations; many, however,
lack sufficient training, information, and resources to effectively
teach students with disabilities.
In response to this pressing need,
the University of Minnesota's General College and Disability Services
has partnered to create
Curriculum Transformation and Disability (CTAD), a project funded
by the U.S. Department of Education. CTAD is designed to teach
faculty and administrators how to better serve all of their students
by creating more inclusive curricula.
Inclusive Curricula Through
Universal Instructional Design
Faculty and administrators participating
in CTAD workshops learn how to ensure their curricula is made accessible
to a wide range
of students by applying principles of Universal Instructional
Design, a model that stresses the need for curricula that is
flexible and customizable. Research has shown that many of the
strategies used to successfully teach students with disabilities
work well for all students, regardless of their disability status.
Think
if it this way: A curb cut makes it easier for a person using a wheelchair
to get from the street to the sidewalk--but
that same curb cut is also used by people pushing strollers,
rollerbladers, older people, or people pulling luggage. It's
a design feature that is universal in its approach to access.
Creating
an Academic Curb Cut
Now apply that idea of universal design to the
classroom. Putting course materials on the web, for example, creates
an "academic
curb cut". Suddenly, course materials are accessible to
a blind student who uses a screen reader or downloads the text
to be brailled. A student with a learning disability or ADD benefits
from using voice output technology to simultaneously listen to
and read text, increasing her comprehension of the material.
Nondisabled students benefit, as well. Those who find it difficult
to participate in class because of language or cultural barriers
appreciate the ability to participate in an alternative, online
class discussion, and everyone enjoys the convenience of accessing
the materials anytime, anywhere, or using embedded links to conduct
further research. Of course, using technology is only one solution.
Transforming teaching methods is the real challenge.
Participants
CTAD conducted twelve workshops with faculty from a variety
of institutions, including four University of Minnesota campuses
(Twin Cities, Duluth, Crookston and Morris), Minneapolis Community
and Technical College, and Columbus State Community College,
Ohio.
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