Teaching Accessibility

Using the built-in accessibility features in tools like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Google Docs, and PDFs will help make sure your materials are compatible with assistive technologies like screen readers.  This is the first step to creating instructional materials that are accessible to all students by using proper headings to structure content and ensuring sufficient color contrast.

Provide course materials in multiple formats (e.g., text, audio, and video) to accommodate diverse learning preferences and needs. Organize course navigation and layout with clearly labeled sections, consistent formatting (e.g., proper headings and lists), and logical organization. Avoid clutter so students can easily find what they need.

Videos are an increasingly common tool in education, but they must be accessible for students with disabilities. All instructional videos should include accurate captions and transcripts, which helps students with hearing impairments and also benefits all learners by providing a text-based way to follow along or review content. Many video tools, such as Zoom, YuJa, and YouTube, offer automatic captions feature using speech-to-text technology. However, these captions often require manual editing to meet accessibility standards. Always review and revise auto-generated captions to ensure accuracy and quality.

Images without ALT text are often ignored by screen readers, making them inaccessible to students with visual impairments. Always add descriptive ALT text to images in presentations, documents, and course webpages.

Effective ALT text should clearly and concisely describe the content and purpose of the image. For complex visuals, such as graphs or charts, provide detailed descriptions in the surrounding text or a linked document to ensure all students can access the information.

Accessibility checkers can help identify and resolve common accessibility issues in your course materials. Tools like  MS Word, Adobe Acrobat, and Google Docs highlight problems and provide correction suggestions, such as missing ALT text, improper heading structure, or poor color contrast.

The Universal Design Online Content Inspection Tool (UDOIT)enables faculty to identify accessibility barriers. It can scan your course and provide reports with recommendations for improvement. Instructors should use the Canvas accessibility checker to ensure that the course pages and instructional content meet accessibility standards.  Regularly using these tools ensures your course meets accessibility standards and supports all students effectively.