Social Sciences & Allied Health

Simulation Videos and Skills Demonstrations

Similar to nursing (below) and pre-med, emergency health/management programs often use scenario videos (e.g., responding to a simulated 911 call). Captions are crucial for any spoken dialogue (between patient and responder, etc.).

• Audio description is important because visual cues (patient’s condition, responder’s actions) are key learning points. If a paramedic checks a patient’s breathing by looking at chest movement, that needs describing. Possibly include a narrator or notes in the video like “(Paramedic observes patient’s chest for movement)” in captions or separate transcript. Panopto and YuJa allow adding slides or notes next to video – you could put descriptive text there for those who need it.

Visual Training Materials

Emergency health uses a lot of visual aids: EKG readouts, triage tags, maps of disaster sites, etc. Each of these should be made accessible.

• For EKG strips (which are graphs), describe the pattern or provide a numeric interpretation (“ECG strip showing a rapid, irregular heartbeat ~150 bpm – indicative of atrial fibrillation”).
• For triage tags or emergency signs, if you show an image, explain the color-coding (“Triage tag: red tag indicates immediate priority”). This also helps reinforce learning for everyone.
• If teaching with slides, consider formatting them in high contrast and large text, because in emergency training, you might have students who are working in bright/dark environments; but specifically for accessibility, large clear visuals help low-vision folks.

Maps and Floor Plans

Emergency management might involve maps of evacuation routes or floor plans for incident command. Ensure these diagrams have alt text like “Floor plan of a two-story school building with arrows indicating evacuation routes from each classroom.”

• If complexity is high, provide a textual description, perhaps enumerating key locations and exits.
• Another quick win: provide data in tables if applicable (like a table of distances between shelters instead of just a map with circles).

Alarm Sounds and Indicators

If you have any training that uses alarm sounds, flashing lights (on a video, for example a flashing ambulance light to show an emergency), ensure there’s a textual or audio explanation.

• If a training video includes a warning beep from a patient monitor, caption “[monitor beeping rapidly]” and mention in teaching notes that it signifies something (e.g. cardiac arrest).
• For students with hearing impairments, supplement audio alarms with visual info (like show on screen “Alarm sounding”).
• For students with visual impairments, ensure alarms are audible (most are) and describe any visual-only alerts.

Accessible Course Materials

Emergency health courses often have manuals or protocols (sometimes PDF or scanned). Make sure these manuals are accessible – many come from agencies (FEMA, Red Cross, etc.) that may not always format for accessibility. If you supply them, run an accessibility check: are they tagged, are tables formatted properly? Remediate if not, or request an alternate format.

• Given that in an actual emergency context accessibility is crucial (e.g., knowing how to communicate with people with disabilities during disasters), weaving that perspective into the curriculum is also useful.
• For course content: ensure any checklists or flowcharts (like an ACLS algorithm chart) are provided as text or described flow steps so that all can access them under non-stressful conditions (imagine a student using a screen reader to review the steps for CPR – it should read logically in order).

Anatomy and Physiology Content

Nursing education includes a lot of anatomical diagrams (body systems, organs) and process diagrams (like blood circulation, infection control cycles). All such figures need alt text or descriptions.

• For example, an image of the heart with labeled parts: alt text could be “Diagram of the heart with labels for chambers (left/right atrium, left/right ventricle) and major vessels.” Then in surrounding text you might describe the blood flow sequence for deeper understanding.
• Use consistent language so a screen reader user isn’t confused (e.g. use “left atrium” in text if that’s what the label says in the image). If a diagram is extremely detailed, consider providing a simplified diagram or a link to a descriptive resource (some anatomy atlases have described versions).

Medical Equipment and Procedure Videos

From IV pumps to catheters, equipment often appears in nursing training. If you show images, label and describe them (“Photo of an IV pump, showing the display and tubing setup”).

• In demonstration videos (like how to insert an IV or how to don PPE), narration is vital: instruct verbally every step (“Now I am cleansing the injection site with an alcohol swab in a circular motion”). Many nursing skills videos already have narration – just ensure it’s comprehensive.
• Caption the narration and also capture critical sounds (“Monitor alarm sounds”). If some steps are silent but visual (like a subtle technique of needle angle), mention them.
• If you can’t visually demonstrate to a blind student, consider hands-on practice with physical guidance as an accommodation (outside the scope of digital content, but good to plan with lab instructors).

Patient Scenarios and Documentation

Nursing students often work through case scenarios, including patient charts and forms. Make sure any sample electronic health record (EHR) screenshots are described or provided in a mock text format. For instance, if showing a vitals chart, you might recreate it as a simple table: Time – BP – HR – etc., with values, so that’s screen-reader friendly.

• If using simulation software that isn’t accessible, provide that scenario info in an accessible format in parallel (like a written case narrative). Charting exercises could be done in Word forms instead of a proprietary tool if needed for accessibility.
• Teach using accessible Excel sheets or tables for things like dosage calculations or scheduling, since nurses use spreadsheets often – ensuring those spreadsheets have clear headers (e.g., a meds administration record should have column headers like “Medication | Dose | Time | Given? (Y/N)”, which can be read by screen readers).

Abbreviations and Terminology

Medicine is full of abbreviations (BP, HR, IM, IV, etc.). The first time you use them in course content, spell them out. Screen readers will typically read “IV” as letters (“I-V”) which is fine, but something like “QID” might be read as a word or not understood. It helps everyone to know that jargon (and helps avoid errors). In digital text, you might italicize or color code initial definitions, but be sure color isn’t the only method (and check contrast).

Accessible Lab/Clinical Manuals: If students use a digital clinical skills manual or drug guide, ensure it’s accessible or that you highlight accessible versions. Many publishers have an e-book that is screen-reader friendly; if not, coordinate with disability services to obtain an accessible copy.

• Encourage students to use tools like text-to-speech for heavy reading (pharmacology chapters can be arduous – an audio alternative can relieve eye strain). Ally’s alternative format feature can generate an audio for a PDF chapter, which is a quick win if an official audiobook isn’t available .

Discussion of Visual Assessments

In nursing, some assessments are visual (skin color, wound appearance, etc.). Having a rich verbal description will reinforce the learning for all and ensure no one is left out during content delivery.

• In lecture content, describe those signs explicitly. Don’t rely on “as you can see in this photo, the wound is inflamed” — instead: “The photo shows the wound with a red, swollen perimeter about 5cm across, indicating inflammation.”
• If students need to learn to identify these by sight, for a blind student you’d need a different approach (maybe focusing on tactile or other cues, or theoretical knowledge).

Accessible Charts and Study Data

Psychology courses frequently include charts or graphs of experimental results (e.g., a bar graph of survey outcomes, a brain image highlighting active regions). As with earlier guidance, provide alt text and/or descriptions for all such figures.

• For brain diagrams or MRI images, describe what is highlighted (“fMRI brain scan image showing the occipital lobes lit up, indicating high activity in visual processing areas during the task”).
• If discussing statistical results, present them in text or tables so that a screen reader can read the values (e.g. ANOVA tables, correlations, etc., can be explained in text: “Results: r = 0.85, indicating a strong positive correlation between stress and heart rate”).
• If you show something like a normal distribution graph for a psych statistics unit, explain the concept in words (“a bell-shaped curve with most values clustered around the mean, tapering off symmetrically”).

Images and Assessments (Rorschach, etc.)

Some classic psych materials like Rorschach inkblots or Thematic Apperception Test images are inherently visual and actually meant to be interpreted visually.

• For a blind student, alternative arrangements will be needed (possibly skip those tests or use descriptive storytelling tasks instead).
• For general content, if you ever show an image (say, a famous optical illusion, or facial expression examples for an emotion study), describe them. “Image: The Rubin vase illusion – can be seen as a vase or two faces in profile, depending on perception.” This way, even a student who can’t see it gets the concept of the illusion.
• If you demonstrate psychology concepts via video (like a child in the “Strange Situation” experiment), ensure captions and describe key actions (“the child cries when the mother leaves the room, then is soothed when she returns – demonstrating secure attachment”).

Terminology and Jargon

Psychology has lots of terminology (disorders, brain parts, medications). For students with certain cognitive disabilities or who are English-language learners, a glossary can be helpful.

• Make sure any abbreviations or acronyms (e.g., “PTSD”) are spelled out at first use in text and maybe marked up with an  tag in HTML (so a screen reader might say “P-T-S-D” or “post-traumatic stress disorder”).
• Some screen readers might mispronounce terms (like “limbic” might come out oddly). It’s useful to provide phonetic spellings or just make sure you pronounce them in lecture/audio so students can match the written word with sound.

Case Studies and Scenarios

Social science courses often use case studies (maybe a vignette about a client in social work or a patient scenario in nursing, but psychology as well might have case studies of patients). Ensure these documents are accessible text (not an image of a case).

• If you use a video scenario (like a simulated counseling session), caption it and also consider a transcript for any subtle interactions that aren’t spoken (“client fidgets, appears anxious – which may not be spoken but is relevant, so put it in an audio description or note).
• If analysis depends on seeing behavior, describe that behavior. For example, “The client’s leg shaking increases when discussing topic X (this is shown visually in the video)” – you might note that in a discussion prompt.

Surveys and Forms

Psychology research often involves surveys or forms (like personality inventories). If you have students take sample surveys online, ensure the survey tool is accessible (Qualtrics is generally good on accessibility if used properly, Google Forms is mostly accessible too).

• Provide alternative formats for surveys if needed (a Word document version of a questionnaire).
• Ensure any forms you show (like a sample DSM symptom checklist) are accessible PDFs or docs (tag the PDF or use a source HTML/Word).

Assistive Tech for Neurodiversity

Some psych students may themselves have learning disabilities or ADHD.

• Encourage use of focus tools (like Pomodoro timers or reading guides) which you can incorporate digitally (e.g., break content into smaller chunks, use Ally’s BeeLine Reader format which can help focus ).
• Consider readability – use plain language where possible, and perhaps provide summaries of dense journal articles. This isn’t “dumbing down” – it’s akin to providing an abstract or bullet points, which helps those who might struggle with large volumes of text. It aligns with UDL by benefiting students who maybe just need a quick recap or have limited time.

Videos of Interactions

Social work training may involve videos of client interactions, counseling techniques, etc. As always, caption these fully.

• Consider the cultural and visual context: describe body language or home environment cues if they are relevant (e.g., “the client’s living conditions appear crowded, five family members in a small room” – if this is an important context for the case, ensure it’s mentioned, not just shown).
• If the video includes text (like a phone number on a flyer given to a client), read it aloud or have it in captions.

Confidentiality and Accessibility

If you use real case examples or sensitive info in class, delivering them accessibly might raise concerns (e.g., transcripts of a role-play counseling session).

• Ensure any student-specific content is handled per privacy guidelines. Content must never be shared without the student’s explicit permission.
• Generally, providing accessible content doesn’t conflict with privacy – just be mindful if you record synchronous role-plays among students, captioning them via cloud services might store data externally. As such, only use approved platforms that are supported by UMBC.

Forms and Documentation

Social work involves forms (intake forms, assessment tools). When teaching these, give students accessible versions to practice with.

• If looking at a sample social history form that’s normally on paper, provide it as an accessible PDF form where fields are tagged and can be filled with a keyboard. This helps students who use screen readers or have motor difficulties (they can tab through fields). Even sighted students benefit from seeing a clean digital version versus a grainy scan.
• If analyzing case notes, ensure those notes are typed out, not images of handwriting.

Community Resources and Websites

Often social work courses refer students to community resource directories or government websites for benefits, etc. Check those for accessibility or provide the crucial info in your course materials.

• If you want them to review a state’s online SNAP benefits application process, be ready to guide those who can’t navigate a possibly unfriendly website. Perhaps provide screenshots with described steps or a text outline of the process. This kind of support models how they might assist clients with disabilities in the future – an added learning benefit.

Reflection Journals

Many social science courses use reflection journals or discussion boards for students to process experiences. Encourage students to submit these in accessible formats. If using a platform like Blackboard discussion, remind them to add alt text if they share images.

• If you ask for multimedia reflections (like “upload a short video of your reflection”), allow an alternative (like a written reflection) for those who prefer it, and if videos are submitted, require captions or at least a written summary for peers to read. This fosters an inclusive environment in peer learning activities.