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

  • robot waving

    Copilot Updates Aim to Make AI More Personal

    Microsoft has unveiled a range of updates to its Copilot platform, marking a new phase in its effort to deliver what it calls a "true AI companion" that adapts to individual users' needs, preferences and routines.

  • glowing futuristic laptop with a holographic screen displaying digital text

    New Turnitin Product Brings AI-Powered Tools to Students with Instructor Guardrails

    Academic integrity solution provider Turnitin has introduced Turnitin Clarity, a paid add-on for Turnitin Feedback Studio that provides a composition workspace for students with educator-guided AI assistance, AI-generated writing feedback, visibility into integrity insights, and more.

  • illustration of a futuristic building labeled "AI & Innovation," featuring circuit board patterns and an AI brain motif, surrounded by geometric trees and a simplified sky

    Cal Poly Pomona Launches AI and Innovation Center

    In an effort to advance AI innovation, foster community engagement, and prepare students for careers in STEM fields and business, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona has teamed up with AI, cloud, and advisory services provider Avanade to launch a new Avanade AI & Innovation Center.

  • Training the Next Generation of Space Cybersecurity Experts

    CT asked Scott Shackelford, Indiana University professor of law and director of the Ostrom Workshop Program on Cybersecurity and Internet Governance, about the possible emergence of space cybersecurity as a separate field that would support changing practices and foster future space cybersecurity leaders.