KSO course accessibility budget

Last updated 10/5/2023

Key points to consider when incurring expenses related to making course learning materials accessible:

  • The university's accessibility policy does not establish a central unit or budget responsible for ensuring course learning materials are accessible, i.e. the individual faculty developing and/or instructing courses or the department is responsible for ensuring course learning materials are accessible to students and for any associated costs.
     
  • Student Accessibility Services (SAS) is responsible for making course learning materials "by letter only" i.e. SAS does not provide services to proactively make course learning materials accessible. SAS will provide specific accommodations to registered students upon their request.
     
  • KSO currently provides $100 budget for accessibility costs applied to course learning materials. The budgeted amount is provided at KSO's sole discretion and is subject to change at any time.


Course Development

Kent State Online will provide a $100 budget for accessibility expenses for each new course development or extensive course revision that meet the following requirements:

  1. Assistance for course development is provided by KSO staff.
  2. A signed Distance Distributed Learning Agreement form, type II or IV, is on file with KSO.
  3. Requests for budget amounts up to $500 may be approved by Director, Kent State Online.
  4. Request for budget amounts over $500 must be approved by the Assoc. VP, Continuing Education prior to exceeding the established budget amount per course.

Best practice is to wait until a majority, or all, course learning materials have been identified before making them accessible in order to generate a cost estimate to determine whether or not the allocated budget is sufficient. This will help to avoid situations in which a course's learning materials are partially accessible.


Course Support

As a general policy, the faculty course developer/department is responsible for accessibility costs incurred as part of regular maintenance of the course, such as minor updates to course materials as part of course prep and course copy.

Exceptions may include Kent Core, high enrollment, and KSO "managed programs" such as degree programs partnered with Everspring.

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