Full course description
Course summary:
The Program Access e-course presents an opportunity for recreation students and professionals to explore perhaps the most critical component of civil rights legislation and accessibility for persons with disabilities. Program access can be an abstract idea, as it is highly unlikely that any two public programs are exactly alike. This course introduces learners to the legislative mandates for federal, state, and local entities that require public programs, services, and activities to be accessible to individuals with disabilities. In addition, students are offered foundational knowledge of basic strategies for overcoming real and perceived barriers to program access. This course will inspire the learner to exercise their critical thinking and problem solving skills through learning prompts, links to additional resources, interactive activities, case studies, and examples of achievements and missed opportunities for achieving program access.
Course objectives:
After completing this course, learners should be able to:
- Define program access.
- Explain the major concepts and principles of equal opportunity, participation, and benefit within the program access requirement.
- Identify methods of program access implementation.
- Describe how program access benefits a variety of individuals.
Course creators:
This course was designed and developed jointly by the National Center on Accessibility and the Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands at Indiana University.
Course topics include:
- The Program Access Requirement
- Fundamentals of Program Access
- Program Access Implementation
- Program Access in Action
- Facilitating Program Access
Elements of the course:
- Informational text
- Informational video
- Engaging photos and images
- Interactive practice activities
- Supplemental reference materials
- Informal assessment quizzes
- Final assessment
This course is self-paced, allowing learners the flexibility to complete the course as quickly or slowly as they need.
After completing all course content and activities, you will complete a final quiz to demonstrate your understanding of key course concepts. Upon successful completion of the quiz, you will be awarded a certificate of completion.
Recommended background
It is recommended that you complete the Universal Design in Parks and Recreation Environments course prior to, or in tandem with, this course.
How to access:
Upon enrolling, you will receive instructions and the link to the Canvas course. Note: When you register, you will receive an email invitation. Be sure to accept that invitation, or Canvas will not allow you to open the course modules.
Enrollees can move through content modules at their own pace within the course timeframe.