Georgia Tech Microsite Provides Accessible COVID-19 Info

COVID-19 microsite

A new resource from Georgia Tech's Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation (CIDI), developed with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and CDC Foundation, provides COVID-19 information in accessible formats for people with disabilities. Materials on the site include CDC guidance in the form of braille-ready files, documents compatible with screen readers, American Sign Language resources, simplified text for people with low literacy skills, and more. In addition, materials in embossed braille are available by request.

"CDC is a trusted source for COVID-19 information, but people must be able to access this information for it to be used," commented Judy Monroe, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation, in a statement. "This project aims to further the reach of that critical information by amplifying and adapting existing content for individuals with disabilities."

In particular, the initiative has created new materials with "minimized text complexity," designed to communicate COVID-19 information at the easiest reading levels possible. "We drew upon several decades of research to create a new set of guidelines to further simplify the Plain English materials the CDC creates," said Karen Erickson, director of the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a partner institution on the project. "We are delighted by the response we've received as adults with low levels of literacy skills successfully read and understand these materials."

CIDI is also conducting trainings and webinars on COVID and accessibility topics. More content will be added to the microsite as materials are created.

Additional partners on the project include Deaf Link, UNC Chapel Hill's Center for Literacy and Disability Studies and Department of Allied Health Sciences, and the American Association on Health and Disability.

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • interconnected cloud icons with glowing lines on a gradient blue backdrop

    Report: Cloud Certifications Bring Biggest Salary Payoff

    It pays to be conversant in cloud, according to a new study from Skillsoft The company's annual IT skills and salary survey report found that the top three certifications resulting in the highest payoffs salarywise are for skills in the cloud, specifically related to Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Nutanix.

  • a hobbyist in casual clothes holds a hammer and a toolbox, building a DIY structure that symbolizes an AI model

    Ditch the DIY Approach to AI on Campus

    Institutions that do not adopt AI will quickly fall behind. The question is, how can colleges and universities do this systematically, securely, cost-effectively, and efficiently?

  • minimalist geometric grid pattern of blue, gray, and white squares and rectangles

    Windows Server 2025 Release Offers Cloud, Security, and AI Capabilities

    Microsoft has announced the general availability of Windows Server 2025. The release will enable organizations to deploy applications on-premises, in hybrid setups, or fully in the cloud, the company said.

  • digital brain made of blue circuitry on the left and a shield with a glowing lock on the right, set against a dark background with fading binary code

    AI Dominates Key Technologies and Practices in Cybersecurity and Privacy

    AI governance, AI-enabled workforce expansion, and AI-supported cybersecurity training are three of the six key technologies and practices anticipated to have a significant impact on the future of cybersecurity and privacy in higher education, according to the latest Cybersecurity and Privacy edition of the Educause Horizon Report.