Finding Space

In this episode of Finding Space, we’re reminded that meeting the updated ADA Title II digital accessibility requirements is not something instructors have to do alone.Maggie Sokolik, Director of College Writing Programs, shares a practical, collaborative approach: offer a hands-on workshop for your entire department, start small, and build accessible habits together.You’ll hear what “remediation” really means (in plain language), how tools like Ally in bCourses can support your work, and a powerful tip to reduce overwhelm: close old courses and project sites if students still have access—or make them accessible.Small steps. Shared effort. Real access for students.Resources:Accessibility in Teaching & Learning Resource HubAlly (Accessibility Checker in bCourses)Ally Course Accessibility Report in bCourses (tutorial video)SensusAccess (primarily alt media conversions)Digital Accessibility Program (DAP)Digital Accessibility of Library CollectionsWorkshops, Consultations, Finding Space podcastCentering Disability in TeachingAccessible PDF Files (including STEM documents, LaTex, & handwritten notes)Accessible Documents (Microsoft Word & Google Docs)Accessible Slides (Microsoft PowerPoint & Google Slides)Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1Review transcripts on our show webpage.Share your feedback with us at [email protected] Space is brought to you by Research Teaching, and Learning (RTL) in UC Berkeley's Division of Undergraduate Education.

In this episode, we focus on what the updated Title II of the ADA means for higher education—and, more importantly, how faculty can get started without feeling overwhelmed.We’re joined by Anne Marie Richard, Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Chief Academic Technology Officer, for a grounded and practical conversation about the federal updates to Title II that go into effect in April 2026.Together, we walk through five concrete actions instructors can take now to begin aligning their courses with the new requirements—while honoring the real constraints, pressures, and care faculty and staff are already carrying. This conversation centers access and inclusion not as extra work, but as work deeply connected to our shared values and commitments.This episode reminds us: you’re not expected to do this alone. We highlight resources available to support instructors and share how to connect with our team for consultations and next steps.In this episode, we explore:What’s changing under the updated Title II requirementsFive actionable ways faculty can begin nowWhy accessibility work is values-aligned, not just compliance-drivenHow institutions can support instructors through this transitionResources:Accessibility in Teaching & Learning Resource HubAlly (Accessibility Checker in bCourses)Ally Course Accessibility Report in bCourses (tutorial video)SensusAccess (primarily alt media conversions)Digital Accessibility Program (DAP)Digital Accessibility of Library CollectionsWorkshops, Consultations, Finding Space podcastCentering Disability in TeachingAccessible PDF Files (including STEM documents, LaTex, & handwritten notes)Accessible Documents (Microsoft Word & Google Docs)Accessible Slides (Microsoft PowerPoint & Google Slides)Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1Review transcripts on our show webpage.Share your feedback with us at [email protected] Space is brought to you by Research Teaching, & Learning (RTL) in UC Berkeley's Division of Undergraduate Education.

In this episode, core Disability Studies instructor Emily Nusbaum shares how she builds collective access into her courses—from day one. Instead of treating accommodations as individual, private transactions, Emily invites her students to co-design access practices together: shared note-taking, flexible ways to participate, an open Zoom room, and an access statement that frames support as everyone’s responsibility.Through stories from her classroom—students using wheelchairs and service animals, a learner attending from a grandparent’s apartment while caregiving, and a student who says they finally felt cared for—Emily shows how small shifts can transform the culture of a course. We talk about why slowing down isn’t a weakness, how “participation points” can reinforce ableism, and why accessibility is fundamentally relational, not just procedural.This episode offers concrete, realistic starting points for instructors who want to move beyond compliance toward a culture of collective access and disability justice in their teaching.In this episode, we explore:What collective access means in a university classroomPractices that help students feel genuinely “cared for”Rethinking participation, engagement, and assessmentUsing shared note-taking, open Zoom rooms, and access statementsWhy accessibility is a relational practice, not just a checklistResources:Sample access statement from Emily’s syllabusReview transcripts on our show webpage.Share your feedback with us at [email protected] Space is brought to you by Research Teaching, and Learning (RTL) in UC Berkeley's Division of Undergraduate Education.

In this episode, alum, Ryan Manriquez, shares how a terrifying emergency-evacuation failure in graduate housing became a catalyst for change—prompting system-wide guidance, individualized evacuation planning, and a renewed focus on not leaving anyone behind. Ryan also highlights the role of the Disability Cultural Center, mentorship, and representation in creating real access. We discuss why accommodations don’t lower academic standards—they enable students to meet them—and how small shifts by faculty and staff signal belonging every day.Resources:Guidance on Instructor Preparedness for Classroom Disruptions and Emergencies - — Practical steps for faculty before, during, and after an incident; includes evacuation, communication, and continuity tips.Video: Accessibility Renovations at UC Berkeley — with Ryan ManriquezReview transcripts on our show webpage.Share your feedback with us at [email protected] Space is brought to you by Research Teaching, and Learning (RTL) in UC Berkeley's Division of Undergraduate Education.

In this episode, Marisella Rodriguez (Associate Director of Equity & Inclusion, ⁠Center for Teaching and Learning⁠), Carmen Varela (Executive Director, ⁠Disabled Students’ Program⁠), and UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons (⁠Office of the Chancellor⁠) discuss how leadership, collective care, and disability justice intersect across roles and responsibilities on campus.Together, they explore how culture is shaped not just by policy, but by everyday decisions, values, and human connection—and why meaningful change starts with all of us.Join the conversation: What role can you play in leading culture and cultivating collective care on campus?Correction: During the conversation, Carmen mentions that the Section 504 protests took place in the 1960s. The protests actually occurred in the 1970s.Review transcripts on our ⁠show webpage⁠.Share your feedback with us at ⁠[email protected]⁠.Finding Space is brought to you by ⁠Research, Teaching, and Learning (RTL)⁠ in UC Berkeley's Division of Undergraduate Education.

What if every student had a real chance to succeed—without lowering academic standards?In this episode of Finding Space, Professor Dan Garcia from UC Berkeley’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences department explores his dream for Berkeley: a university where all students can bring their authentic selves and thrive.After 20 years in the classroom, Dan began rethinking traditional grading practices—deeply inspired by the book Grading for Growth. His shift toward more equitable, student-centered approaches led to the adoption of strategies like absolute grading, flexible deadlines, and exam retakes. These changes are designed to support all students, particularly disabled and neurodivergent learners, while still emphasizing academic mastery.This conversation challenges us to imagine a more inclusive university—one where learning is continuous, failure is not final, and success is accessible.Tune in to learn:Why grading on a curve can harm equityHow “A’s for All (as time and interest allow)” reframes student successPractical, flexible grading policies that support diverse learnersWhy universal design principles benefit all students—not just someReview transcripts on our show webpage.Share your feedback with us at [email protected] Space is brought to you by Research Teaching, and Learning (RTL) in UC Berkeley's Division of Undergraduate Education.

Marlenne Perez shares her experience navigating UC Berkeley as a first generation, low income, independent undergraduate student with a disability. She shares how relationships with mentors, professors and student support staff enabled her to stay at Berkeley when she thought she might drop out, and she offers advice for faculty who want to support students with disabilities but aren’t sure where to start.Review transcripts on our show webpage.Share your feedback with us at [email protected] Space is brought to you by Research Teaching, and Learning (RTL) in UC Berkeley's Division of Undergraduate Education.

Faculty Liaisons to the Disabled Students' Program (DSP), Jonah Levy and Justin Davidson, talk with Marisella Rodriguez and Tara Mason from the Center for Teaching and Learning, explaining how they support their faculty peers in the accommodations process and why they build bridges between their faculty colleagues and staff at DSP and Disability Access & Compliance (DAC). They also share how accommodating students with disabilities has transformed their teaching for the better, and made their courses more satisfying to teach.Resources mentioned in this episode:Jonah and Justin’s instructor guide to DSP accommodations⁠ (you’ll also find their contact info here)Demystifying Accommodations⁠, the hour-long video conversation from Fall 2023 we excerpted for this episode.Review transcripts on our show webpage (https://rtl.berkeley.edu/finding-space-podcast)Share your feedback with us at [email protected] Space is brought to you by Research Teaching, and Learning (RTL) in UC Berkeley's Division of Undergraduate Education.

In this premiere episode of Finding Space, we dive into what UC Berkeley Disabled Students' Program (DSP) Executive Director, Carmen Varela wishes that every faculty member and support staff on campus knew about the DSP and the work they do. Marisella Rodriguez and Tara Mason from the Center for Teaching and Learning talk with Varela, and they share what motivates their decades of work on behalf of people with disabilities, what is at stake for students who need accommodations, and why DSP specialists are some of the most creative resources on campus.Review transcripts on show webpage: https://rtl.berkeley.edu/finding-space-podcastShare your feedback: [email protected] Space is brought to you by Research Teaching, and Learning (RTL) in UC Berkeley's Division of Undergraduate Education.