The USM Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation shared the resources from the Ready, Set, Accessible! Fall Course Prep Day.

Held on August 3rd, this half-day virtual event was designed to help faculty take practical, manageable steps to improve the accessibility of their courses before classes begin. Whether you're updating an existing course, preparing new materials, or looking for a realistic place to begin, these resources offer concrete strategies, examples, and tools you can apply right away

Session 1: Digital Accessibility 101: A Coffee Chat Refresher 

Nancy O’Neill, Executive Director, Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation, University System of Maryland

• Digital Accessibility 101 (YouTube recording) 
• Digital Accessibility 101​​ ​(slide deck)Digital Accessibility 101

Resources Shared: 

• Accessible by Design: PDF Practices that Promote Digital Accessibility
• Boosting Course Accessibility Faculty Fellows Call for Applicants
• Course Accessibility Self-Paced Guide
• WCAG 2.1 Guidelines 
• USM Digital Accessibility Checklist 

Session 2: Before You Assign It: Checking Course Materials for Accessibility

Haley Cristea, Instructional Designer, Salisbury University

• Before You Assign It (YouTube recording) 

Links Shared: 

• How to Create Accessible PDFs (when necessary) 
• Color & Contrast Quick Fix Guide 
• Coloring for Colorblindness 
• WebAIM Color Contrast Checker 
• YouDescribe (Audio Description for YouTube) 

Session 3: The 10-Minute Assignment Makeover 

Teresa Valais, Senior Instructional Designer, Towson University

• The 10-Minute Assignment Makeover (YouTube video recording) 
• The 10-Minute Assignment Makeover (Presentation Slides) 

Links Shared: 

• CAST UDL Guidelines 
• TILT Higher Ed Website 
• AI Prompt Template for Assignment Redesign 
• UMBC Academic AI Resource 
• TILT Resources for Teachers 

Session 4: Sense-Sational Design: A Full Spectrum Approach to Accessible, Inclusive and Interactive Learning 

Karen Silverstrim, Instructional Designer, Salisbury University

• Sense-Sational Design: A Full Spectrum Approach (YouTube video recording) 
• Sense-Sational Design: A Full Spectrum Approach Presentation Materials 

Links Shared: 

• CAST UDL Chart 
• Karen Silverstrim’s Website/Portfolio 

All recordings will also be available on the Digital Accessibility Hub in the coming days.