Explore the Alternative Format Initiative to enhance engagement through Universal Design for Learning and Transformative Learning principles. Learn how accessible formats can foster inclusive, student-centered environments. Providing students with the opportunity to create personal learning spaces inspires attention, focus, creativity, and retention.

As diversity in online learning increases, educators must intentionally design inclusive, emotionally resonant learning environments. The Alternative Format Initiative (AFI), developed at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO), offers a transformative model for creating digital learning environments that serve the needs of all students—not just those with documented accommodations. Rooted in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Transformative Learning (TL) Theory, the AFI reframes accessibility as a proactive design strategy that fosters equity, agency, and deeper learning.

The initiative addresses persistent barriers in digital learning spaces by expanding access to course materials through alternative formats, including audio, screen-readable digital text, background color changes, large print, and translation features. These tools are embedded in the learning management system (LMS) via a digital accessibility application called Ally [although this session information applies to all LMS and digital accessibility systems], which allows students to customize how they consume course content according to their cognitive, sensory, and emotional needs. Such flexibility supports not only students with disabilities, but also learners managing distractions, language barriers, executive functioning differences, and varied study preferences.

The AFI draws its foundational logic from Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a research-based framework developed by Rose and Meyer (2002) that emphasizes providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression. UDL posits that all learners benefit from flexible pathways to learning and that barriers are often located in the design of the curriculum, not in the students themselves. When content is presented in only one way—typically text-heavy, static formats—students without the necessary perceptual or processing strengths are at a disadvantage. By offering alternative formats, AFI operationalizes UDL’s call for curricular flexibility that accommodates diverse learning styles from the outset.

In addition to UDL, the initiative is informed by Transformative Learning (TL) Theory, originally articulated by Mezirow (1991), which emphasizes critical reflection and perspective transformation as essential components of adult learning. When students are empowered to engage with material in a format that resonates with them, they are more likely to experience the kind of deep, meaningful engagement that leads to personal transformation. Likewise, when faculty members are invited to reimagine their content delivery through the lens of accessibility, they undergo their own transformative shifts—from compliance-based thinking to inclusive, learner-centered design.

AFI positions accessibility as more than a compliance issue—it becomes a pedagogical imperative that contributes to student empowerment, emotional readiness, and sustained academic engagement.

The AFI directly aligns with UCO’s mission to “help students learn by providing transformative educational experiences to prepare them for success in a life of leadership, service, and citizenship.” It supports UCO’s Vision 2025 goals of student success, inclusive excellence, and innovation in teaching and learning. By embedding accessibility tools into existing systems and normalizing their use for all students, the AFI affirms the university’s role as a leader in equity-minded instructional design.

Furthermore, the AFI aligns with recent regulatory updates, including the April 2024 Department of Justice (DOJ) ADA update, which mandates that all digital content meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards (U.S. Department of Justice, 2024). These guidelines ensure that students with disabilities can access course materials using assistive technologies. Through Ally, AFI automates many compliance checks, flags inaccessible documents, and provides downloadable alternatives—easing the burden on faculty while ensuring digital equity. However, the AFI moves beyond minimum compliance by emphasizing how universal design benefits everyone, a principle echoed by accessibility experts such as Burgstahler (2015).

Session Outline
This interactive session will begin with a brief introduction to the AFI, including its institutional context at UCO and theoretical grounding in UDL and TL theory. Presenters will share findings from recent research and institutional data related to student engagement, faculty perceptions, and LMS usage trends.

Participants will then engage in hands-on demonstrations of alternative format tools available through Ally, including text-to-speech audio files, downloadable ePub and HTML versions, screen-readable PDFs, and customizable visual contrast options. The session will feature anonymized student feedback highlighting how these tools enhanced their ability to focus, comprehend, and persist in online courses.

Next, participants will be invited to reflect on how accessibility impacts not just cognitive access, but emotional safety and learner identity. Faculty attendees will be guided through a short reflective exercise to sketch or map their ideal inclusive learning environment using alternative formats. Small-group discussions will explore how accessible content can shift classroom culture and normalize flexible learning pathways.

Attendees will leave with Key Takeaways:
- Practical knowledge of alternative format tools and how to enable them in common LMS platforms such as Brightspace and Canvas

- Real-world examples of how alternative formats improve engagement, persistence, and emotional readiness for learning

- Strategies for designing more inclusive digital spaces that support all learners, regardless of accommodation status

- Guidance on aligning course design with institutional priorities and ADA compliance standards

Faculty will also receive resources to help them begin integrating UDL principles into their course materials, with a focus on small, manageable changes that have a high impact on student experience.

A key outcome of the AFI is a cultural shift: moving from seeing accessibility as the responsibility of a single office or for a small population of students to a shared commitment to inclusion across the institution. By positioning alternative formatting as a universal benefit—not a special service—the initiative reduces stigma, expands usability, and encourages more students to engage with their learning materials in ways that work for them.

As one faculty member noted after implementing alternative formatting tools: “I wish I had this when I was in school. It would have changed how I saw myself as a learner.” Several students have named alternative formats as “gamechangers” and “how I choose my classes. If a teacher does not have accessible information, I find one who does.”

Ultimately, AFI helps reframe accessible design as essential to transformative education—a catalyst for equity, engagement, and institutional excellence.

References

Burgstahler, S. (2015). *Universal design in higher education: From principles to practice* (2nd ed.). Harvard Education Press.

Mezirow, J. (1991). *Transformative dimensions of adult learning*. Jossey-Bass.

Rose, D. H., & Meyer, A. (2002). *Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning*. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

U.S. Department of Justice. (2024, April). *Guidance on web accessibility and the ADA*. https://www.ada.gov/resources/web-guidance/

Linda Breslin, Ph.D.

Instructional Designer at University of Central Oklahoma

Linda Breslin is an Instructional Designer and English Professor, specializing in integrating alternative formats into education. She is currently working to expand access to alternative formats for all students to enhance focus, comprehension, and retention. Outside of her work in education, she enjoys spending time with her Pugs & husband (sometimes in reverse order!) and teaching yoga and aqua aerobics.