AccessCORPS

The mission of AccessCORPS is to make education accessible for all. Our organization, established in 2022 as a Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) at the Georgia Institute of Technology, is led by students and guided by faculty. Through a comprehensive process of evaluation and remediation, we aim to reduce barriers to accessibility in educational content.

As we grow, our goal is to extend our reach to other educational institutions, becoming a resource which promotes universal design. AccessCORPS envisions a future where every institution embraces accessibility, and we are dedicated to making this vision a reality.

Why It’s Important

All students need access to the content and learning resources necessary to participate in and successfully complete their courses and obtain their education. If accessibility is not considered, students with disabilities are likely to face barriers.

Inclusive, quality education is necessary for the development of strong institutions and sustainable societies. Inclusive, quality education reduces inequalities and is foundational for the support of the 17 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Evaluation

Is it accessible?

To proactively create inclusive content, AccessCORPS utilizes a matrix of human diversity that include bodily, sensory, social, cognitive, emotional, experiential, and environmental diversity. This human-centered matrix provides possible areas where the course content needs to be improved. Once these areas are identified, experts and users will be brought in to inform how these diverse individuals may interact with this content, and point out areas for future research and development.

Remediation

How do we make it accessible?

After evaluation, individuals from both AccessCORPS and our partners will work in unison to remediate the content. At AccessCORPS we perform a series of automated and manual checks to minimize accessibility issues in course content.

If instructors have accessible materials as their base materials, little to no extra remediation will be required when an academically diverse student joins the class. The advantage of remediating proactively is that the best solutions can be identified and utilized, rather than focusing on getting something accessible out the door as fast as possible.

Our Research

How do we improve our process?

AccessCORPS investigates accessibility barriers and remediation methods to create a meaningful and lasting impact on educational access.