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The pivot toward online courses and services as a result of the pandemic amplified weaknesses in an accommodation approach to making offerings accessible to students with disabilities. This article elaborates on how a universal design approach can more effectively reach equity goals with respect to students with disabilities. 

As a consequence of the COVID19 pandemic, we have witnessed a swift movement of onsite and hybrid courses to fully online formats. This development has created an urgent need for the design and delivery of online content and engagement mechanisms that are equitable for all students. There is little evidence that many of these courses are accessible to, usable by, and inclusive of students with disabilities. The author of this article discusses challenges students with disabilities face in accessing online content and engaging in online activities as well as choices that instructors and online course designers can make with respect to pedagogy and information technology (IT) to ensure that their classes are accessible to, usable by, and inclusive of all students. She introduces for those new to this field the potential of the universal design (UD) framework to inform the design of online learning that addresses the needs of students with a wide range of characteristics. 

The pivot toward online courses and services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic amplified weaknesses in an accommodation approach to making academic offerings accessible to students with disabilities. This article elaborates on how a universal design approach can more effectively reach diversity, equity, and inclusion goals with respect to students with disabilities. 

Has the design of your biochemistry courses and facilities unintentionally excluded certain students and faculty? We live in an era of heightened awareness about nondiscrimination with respect to underrepresented groups defined by gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other characteristics. Have you considered issues related to the inclusion of talented students and faculty who have disabilities? If not, today is a good day to start doing so. This article shares an approach for proactively designing post-secondary courses, materials, services and facilities that are welcoming and accessible to this minority group along with others, while reducing the need for additional accommodations for individuals with disabilities.