Core Courses (All available online.)
ASP 305 Accessibility & User Experience  
ASP 325 Universal Design 
ASP 435 Accessible Information Design  
ASP 485 Accessibility Capstone 
Elective Courses
ASP 365  Assistive Technology: Tactile Graphics
ASP 490 Accessibility Internship
ASP 492 Advanced Practicum in Accessibility
ASP 496 Special Topics in Accessibility
 

CORE COURSES

ASP 305 Accessibility and User Experience

CREDITS: 3
CATALOG DESCRIPTION: Quality of life issues of accessibility in everyday experiences and environments.  Changes in laws and attitudes about the need for proactive accessible design. Current careers requiring competence in troubleshooting accessibility. 
PREREQUISITE: None
JUSTIFICATION: ASP 305 is the introductory course for the undergraduate Accessibilities Studies Program (ASP), an interdisciplinary opportunity to learn about the challenges facing people with disabilities and limitations and to become competent in recognizing where, when, and how to accommodate such needs.  Competence includes facilitating accessible transitions and employment for people with disabilities and limitations, approached from different perspectives of employers, social service agencies, commercial enterprises, and the people requiring access themselves.  ASP 305 begins the process of adding practical depth to all careers because of the increasing prevalence and need for awareness of disability in the general population. The focus of the course is on the scope and significance of physical and social barriers to independent and meaningful life and the crucial role of accessibility competence in all careers.
LEARNER OUTCOMES:
1. Identify assumptions of mobility, perception, cognition, and engagement regarding common life activities (i.e. ableism).
2. Define disability etiquette.
3. Distinguish between theoretical models of disability, e.g. medical, social, economic, functional, identity, moral, charity, and destiny, and examine the implications of beliefs and attitudes about disability on public and personal perceptions of disability.
4. Differentiate categories and levels of disability and common barriers associated with them (i.e., eligibility and entitlement).
5. Define assistive technologies and their uses.
6. List prominent legal documents and landmark events related to disability and human rights.
7. Survey current careers requiring competence in troubleshooting accessibility.

ASP 325 Universal Design

CREDITS: 4
CATALOG DESCRIPTION: Proactive accessibility design for high incidence problems in commercial, leisure, occupational, and personal living spaces. Assistive technology, adapted architecture, differentiated activity. Standards for safety and equity.
PRE/COREQUISITES: ASP 305.
JUSTIFICATION: ASP 325 is a core course in Accessibility Studies program leading to a certificate or minor. Universal Design is the underlying framework for understanding all efforts to minimize barriers for all people, especially those with specific limitations in their perception or mobility. The principles of accessibility are needed before application in ASP 435, the Accessible Information Design course.
LEARNER OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENTS:
1.Analyze scenarios of interaction for effective inclusion of people with disabilities and limitation.
2.Define principles of universal design.
3.Identify technological applications useful for designing individual accommodation and universal access.
4. Explain compliance with statutory and case law related to disability and human rights, e.g. ADA, in terms of safety, liability.
5. Outline risk management strategies in the context of cost-benefit analyses of implementing accommodations.

ASP 435 Accessible Information Design

CREDITS:  5
DESCRIPTION:   Standards for public communication, such as advertising and agency information. Effective Job coaching. Issues of disclosure and advocacy. Laws and civil rights legislation and court decisions.  Social justice and social psychology.
PREREQUISITES:  Pre requisite ASP 305 Accessibility & User Experience. Corequisite ASP 325 Universal Design.
JUSTIFICATION: ASP 435 is a core course in Accessibility Studies program leading to a certificate or minor, an interdisciplinary opportunity to learn about the challenges facing people with disabilities and limitations and to become competent in recognizing where, when, and how to accommodate such needs.  Competence includes facilitating accessible transitions and employment for people with disabilities and limitations, approached from different perspectives of employers, social service agencies, commercial enterprises, and the people requiring access themselves.  The focus of ASP 435 is Information Design, that is, all opportunities for expressive and receptive language related to postsecondary independent living.  Standards for barrier-free public communication, issues of disclosure and advocacy, laws and civil rights legislation and court decisions, and social justice and social psychology aspects will be addressed so graduates will be able to analyze any public communication for its capacity to include all citizens no matter what their individual circumstances affecting perception, cognition, or mobility.
LEARNER OUTCOMES:
1. Identify common barriers to inclusive information in terms of content and medium.
2. Analyze rhetorical implications of accessible information design.
3. Define and illustrate guidelines.
4. Identify and assess technological applications useful for making information accessible.
5. Interpret policy and law as applied to making advertising and other public communication accessible.
6. Outline stakeholder responsibilities and interactions.
7. Explain the importance of evacuation, e.g.  during a threat of fire,  and predict the dangers to self and others resulting from ineffective communication. OR
8. Explain the importance of communication in emergency circumstances.

ASP 485 Accessibility Capstone

CREDITS: 3
DESCRIPTION: Experiential-based capstone course. Accessibility competence demonstrated in portfolio and capstone project. Laboratory time will include a variety of service learning, professional visits and applied practical experience. Strategies for engaging stakeholders in trouble-shooting accommodations.
PREREQUISITES: ASP 305 and ASP 325. Corequisite ASP 435.
JUSTIFICATION: ASP 485 is the culminating course in Accessibility Studies program leading to a certificate or minor, an interdisciplinary opportunity to learn about the challenges facing people with disabilities and limitations and to become competent in recognizing where, when, and how to accommodate such needs.  Competence includes facilitating accessible transitions and employment for people with disabilities and limitations, approached from different perspectives of employers, social service agencies, commercial enterprises, and the people requiring access themselves.  The focus of ASP 485 is a real-world problem-solving exercise that demonstrates competence in understanding efforts to minimize barriers for all people, especially those with specific limitations in their perception or mobility.
LEARNER OUTCOMES :
1.Identify common barriers to inclusive information in terms of content and medium.
2.Analyze rhetorical implications of accessible information design.
3.Define and illustrate guidelines.
4.Identify and assess technological applications useful for making information accessible.
5.Interpret policy and law as applied to making advertising and other public communication accessible.
6.Outline stakeholder responsibilities and interactions.

ELECTIVE COURSES

ASP 365 ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY: TACTILE GRAPHICS

CREDITS: 3

DESCRIPTION: Use of both low and high technology methods to translate verbal information into Braille. Includes standards for developing content and designing products.
PREREQUISITES: None.
JUSTIFICATION: ASP 365 Tactile Graphics is offered as an elective within the Accessibility Studies Program curriculum leading to a minor. Unlike the core courses, ASP 365 focuses on the knowledge and skills of assistive technology specific to translating verbal information for people with visual impairments, e.g. embossing Braille with low and high tech applications.
LEARNER OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENTS:
1. Identify what information must be conveyed from print graphic to a tactile graphic.
2. Recognize the features in print graphics to be omitted in tactile graphics.
3. Analyze finished tactile graphics for clarity and effectiveness according to standards and guidelines.
4. Compare different production options in terms of cost and benefit.
5. Produce tactile graphics using a variety of materials, equipment, and software.
6. Outline steps necessary to become certified by National Library Service for the Bind and Physically Handicapped.
7. Compare agencies and enterprises offering services for visual impairment.
 

ASP 496 Special Topics in Accessibility

CREDITS: 2-5
DESCRIPTION:  Investigate principles and issues of accessibility applied to specific practical or creative contexts.
PREREQUISITES: ASP 305.
JUSTIFICATION:  ASP 496 Special Topics in Accessibility serves as a shell course for investigating principles and issues of accessibility applied to specific practical or creative contexts. The Accessibility Studies Program (ASP) provides an interdisciplinary opportunity to learn about the challenges facing people with disabilities and limitations, estimated to be nearly a fifth of the population. A certificate or minor in Accessibility Studies demonstrates competence in recognizing where, when, and how to accommodate such needs.  Competence includes facilitating accessible transitions and employment for people with disabilities and limitations, approached from different perspectives of employers, social service agencies, commercial enterprises, and the people requiring access themselves.  This competence is attractive to employers who must all comply with legislation, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, intended to protect entitlement to activities of independent living in all environments- work, home, school, shopping, medical, leisure, and virtual. Thus there are myriad Special Topics of interest found in all academic fields, ranging from applied sciences (e.g. learning assistive technology) to the humanities (e.g.  studying  disability in popular culture) to the professions (e.g. designing an emergency evacuation strategy) and beyond.
LEARNER OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENTS:
1. Identify issues of accessibility in a specific context.
2. Reflect on changes in personal understanding of the interactions of individual capacities, functions of independent and integrated living, and environmental contexts.
3. Produce an artifact to demonstrate developing competence in analyzing issues of accessibility in a specific context.

NOTE: The field experiences are arranged individually. See Dr. Petersen.
• ASP 490 Accessibility Internship
• ASP 492 Advanced Practicum in Accessibility
 

ASP 490 Accessibility Internship

CREDITS: 1-10
DESCRIPTION: Field experience in a real-world context for observing, analyzing and investigating principles and issues crucial to developing competence in understanding efforts to minimize barriers for all people, especially those with specific limitations in their perception or mobility.
PREREQUISITE: ASP 435 Accessible Information Design.  Fingerprinting may be required.
JUSTIFICATION: ASP 490 is an elective field experience in Accessibility Studies program leading to a certificate or minor, an interdisciplinary opportunity to learn about the challenges facing people with disabilities and limitations and to become competent in recognizing where, when, and how to accommodate such needs.  Competence includes facilitating accessible transitions and employment for people with disabilities and limitations, approached from different perspectives of employers, social service agencies, commercial enterprises, and the people requiring access themselves.  The focus of ASP 485 is a real-world context for observing, analyzing and investigating principles and issues crucial to developing competence in understanding efforts to minimize barriers for all people, especially those with specific limitations in their perception or mobility.
LEARNER OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENTS:
1. Investigate real-world scenario for high-incidence accessibility issues.                                                         
2. Observe and analyze real-world scenarios for compliance with accessibility laws and policies.                                                      
3. Discuss solutions  to improve accessibility in a realistic context for realistic people with high incidence disabilities.                                                
4. Synthesize field experience and professional literature to interpret real world phenomena and personal attitudes toward accessibility.                                                                       
5. Demonstrate appropriate interactions with stakeholders in field, e.g. disability etiquette.                                                                       

 ASP 492 Advanced Practicum in Accessibility

CREDITS: 1-10.
DESCRIPTION: Field experience in a real-world context for observing, analyzing and investigating principles and issues crucial to developing competence in understanding efforts to minimize barriers for all people, especially those with specific limitations in their perception or mobility.
PREREQUISITE: ASP 435 Accessible Information Design.  
JUSTIFICATION: ASP 492 is an elective field experience in Accessibility Studies program leading to a certificate or minor, an interdisciplinary opportunity to learn about the challenges facing people with disabilities and limitations and to become competent in recognizing where, when, and how to accommodate such needs.  Competence includes facilitating accessible transitions and employment for people with disabilities and limitations, approached from different perspectives of employers, social service agencies, commercial enterprises, and the people requiring access themselves.  The focus of ASP 485 is a real-world context for observing, analyzing and investigating principles and issues crucial to developing competence in understanding efforts to minimize barriers for all people, especially those with specific limitations in their perception or mobility.
LEARNER OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENTS:
1. Investigate real-world scenario for high-incidence accessibility issues.                                                         
2. Observe and analyze real-world scenarios for compliance with accessibility laws and policies.                                                      
3. Discuss solutions  to improve accessibility in a realistic context for realistic people with high incidence disabilities.                                                
4. Synthesize field experience and professional literature to interpret real world phenomena and personal attitudes toward accessibility.                                                                       
5. Demonstrate appropriate interactions with stakeholders in field, e.g. disability etiquette.