A faculty member recently came to me with a challenge. She had a student in her hybrid course with a specific visual impairment—they only have peripheral vision. To participate fully, the student needed handouts prepared ahead of time, enlarged to at least 19-point font.
While the student carries a laptop and could likely use a digital version, they specifically asked for paper—perhaps out of respect for the faculty member’s existing workflow. Regardless of the “why,” the “how” was clear: those cherished, “tried-and-true” textbook handouts needed to become digital. They needed to be searchable and scalable for the student with disabilities, and easily modifiable for the instructor.
This accommodation request arrived at an opportune moment. As we continue campus wide efforts toward improving digital accessibility, it provided a natural opportunity to move work the faculty member already needed to complete forward more efficiently. Digitizing the handout not only supported this individual student, but also created a reusable resource that can benefit other students who may be absent, prefer digital materials, or rely on assistive technologies. Once digitized, content can be enlarged, searched, and read aloud, extending its usefulness well beyond a single accommodation.
