Neurodiversity and disability present in many ways. What works for one individual may not work for another. However, these links contain information for tertiary educators about some of the most common conditions learners disclose at Otago Polytechnic, which can help you make your classroom a more inclusive and accessible learning environment.

• ADHD resources
• Autism resources
• Common accomodations for different types of physical disability
• Developmental dyspraxia/developmental coordination disorder (DCD) resources
• Dyscalcula resources
• Dyslexia resources
• Work-based learning dyslexia resources

The Kia Ōrite Toolkit provides current, New Zealand-specific guidance to help tertiary education organisations better support disabled learners.

What are my legal obligations?
Employers and service providers need to provide reasonable accommodations in actions, services and decisions to assist people with disabilities to participate. Find out more in this booket.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to accessibility as individual needs differ. However, here are some general guidelines to help make your content accessible to most learners.

• Choose sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Open Dyslexic, which you can download for free. 
• Choose high-contrast colours and avoid using patterned backgrounds. A dark font on a cream or pastel backdrop is preferrable. 
• Use bold for emphasis. Avoid italics or underlining as this can make it harder for people with dyslexia to read.
• Left-align text. Justifying or centering large amounts of text makes it harder to read. Headlines may be centered.
• Leave plenty of space around text. Keep visual elements simple and relevant.
• In documents and webpages, use style formats (such as headers) instead of just making text bigger. This allows screenreaders to identify titles and headings.
• Choose plain language wherever possible.
• When creating links, use descriptive text. For example ‘Choose sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Open Dyslexic, which you can download for free' instead of 'Click here.' This allows students using assistive technology such as screenreaders to understand the context and follow the link.
• When sharing images digitally, use Alt Text to create a simple description for screenreaders. Identify the key information the image is meant to share, and keep it simple. If the image is just decorative, add 'decorative' to the Alt Text box. 
• Microsoft offers an accessibility checker in Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and other Microsoft programmes.
• Microsoft also has a text-to-speech function that allows programmes to read documents out loud. Many computers also have text-to-speech in their accessibility settings. 
• Word also has an Immersive Reader function to make documents more comfortable to read and easier to process. It is worth checking how your documents appear with Immersive Reader before sharing with learners.
  • Note: many web browsers offer extensions with similar functions

• Choose sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Open Dyslexic, which you can download for free. 
• Generally, use 20-28 point size for main text and 30-44 point size for headers. Different fonts will size differently, so this is just a guideline.
• Choose high-contrast colours and avoid using patterned backgrounds. A dark font on a cream or pastel backdrop is preferrable, bright backdrops can be difficult for some learners. 
• Use bold for emphasis. Avoid italics or underlining as this can make it harder for people with dyslexia to read.
• Left-align text. Justifying or centering large amounts of text makes it harder to read. Headlines may be centered.
• Minimise text on each slide. Bullet points often work best for presentations.
• Organise information vertically using
  • Headers
  • Bullet points
• Keep visual elements simple and relevant.
• Choose plain language wherever possible.

For slides you will share digitally

• Use the layout options in PowerPoint instead of adding text boxes to a blank slide. Screenreaders can recognise titles and this helps the information be conveyed logically. Give each slide a different title and number so students can navigate using assistive technology.
• When creating links, use descriptive text such as ‘Choose sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Open Dyslexic, which you can download for free.' This allows students using assistive technology such as screen readers to follow the link.
• When sharing images on digital documents, use Alt Text to create a simple description for screenreaders. Identify the key information the image is meant to share, and keep it simple. If the image is just decorative, add 'decorative' to the Alt Text box. 
• Sharing slides in advance can help some learners prepare, for example by having time to read through the slides if it is difficult to read quickly in class.

You can read more about accessibility and assistive technology for neurodivergent learners in this article from Te Ako Ama.

The University of Oxford Centre for Learning and Teaching has a webpage of accessible learning and teaching resources.

Check the Assistive Technology page from Student Success to find out what is available for our learners.

See the Ministry of Social Development's Accessibility Guide which includes print and digital accessibilty guidelines.

Want to learn more about disability, neurodiversity and accessibility? Here are some learning opportunities to get you started:

Achieve has free online courses including:

• Disability Confidence 101
• Tertiary Education and Training Educators
• Tertiary Education and Training Support Staff

The University of Illinois has a free online course called An Introduction to Accessibility and Inclusive Design. While the module on legalities is about American law, the other modules have information applicable anywhere.

Dyslexia Awareness Training in Moodle

Join the Neurodiversity community at OP

• Your Academic Capability Partner at Te Ama Ako
• Find out about Accessibility Services available to students 
• Email an Accessibilty Support Advisor at Student Success