What Online Materials Need to Be Made Accessible?

 

ALL required web-based materials (for example, content in Canvas, HTML files, PDF files, PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, video files, audio files, images) for use with online, hybrid, blended, or face-to-face classes must be made compliant.

This includes: 

  • Content created by the instructor within your school's learning management system. 
     
  • Files uploaded by the instructor to your school's learning management system. 
     
  • Material created or controlled by the instructor, but hosted on another server. 

  • Content used as course material provided by educational publishers and other third-party websites.

What About Textbooks?

Though outside the instructor's responsibility, a student may need the textbook in an alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audio, electronic), which is usually done by a college's disability services.

Converting a print text can be a time-consuming process—one which causes the student to lose valuable time while it's being produced—so as an instructor, you can support students by opting for digital Open Education Resource (OER) textbooks and learning materials (that have been vetted for accessibility, of course  winking smiley face).

Optional Course Content

There used to be a rather tacit agreement in the education field that optional content wasn't held to the same compliance standards as required materials. Keep in mind, though, a student who is disabled can't take advantage of things like "optional" review or extra credit activities unless they're made accessible, which creates an inherently unequal learning environment. For that reason, the best rule of thumb is, "If it's in your course, it should be accessible."

Know that accessibility is an ever-evolving topic of consideration. Guidelines are regularly being updated and revised, often based on technological advancements or legal findings. It's important for you to do your best to stay informed. (Hmmm, it might be a good idea to make friends with an accessibility expert.)