AccessCORPS is a Vertically Integrated Project (VIP Site) at Georgia Tech, focused on making Georgia Tech courses more accessible and inclusive to all students, including those with disabilities. AccessCORPS is offered every semester.
AccessCORPS (pronounced "access core") trains a large team of students (the "corps" in AccessCORPS) to systematically assess the accessibility of GT course materials, to determine any barriers a student with an impairment or disability or other challenge may face when taking the course. The AccessCORPS team members then work with the course instructor(s) to reduce access barriers in the materials and other aspects of the course, while also educating the instructor on how to sustain the more-accessible materials and course delivery methods.
AccessCORPS is led by Prof. Bruce Walker (Psychology and Interactive Computing) and by Norah Sinclair (CIDI), plus fantastic graduate students and returning undergraduates.
AccessCORPS applies a rigorous method to assess a course and its materials from the perspective of learners with different perceptual, mobility, cognitive, or other impairments. Examples include determining if powerpoint slides contain math, equations, figures, charts, or images that are less accessible to someone with vision impairment or dyslexia. Or assessing whether videos used in the class are accessible to students with hearing impairment or for those whose first language is not English. Once a list of accessibility issues has been compiled, the AccessCORPS team works with the instructor, providing the skilled labor to improve course materials, and in some cases point out ways to improve course delivery. This approach (1) identifies the level of access challenges facing GT students, even before they try to take a course; (2) improves materials and courses more broadly, before a student with a particular challenge needs to take the course; and (3) helps instructors learn how to improve the accessibility of their courses, overall. AccessCORPS is a "force multiplier" for the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation (CIDI) and the Office of Disability Services (ODS), providing a trained team to proactively improve Georgia Tech's educational offerings.
If you want to be part of the AccessCORPS VIP, apply via the VIP Site.