OER Accessibility

Why Design for Accessibility?


You may be thinking: “I don’t have any deaf/blind/mobility-challenged students in my class so I don’t need to worry about it, right?” However, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires all learning materials, including interfaces, images, sounds, multimedia elements, and all other forms of information, to be available for use by anyone, regardless of disability. Beyond the fact that Section 508 compliance is a legal requirement...you don’t necessarily know if you have a student with a disability in your online class. One of the wonderful side benefits of ensuring the accessibility of all educational materials is that it will not only help students with disabilities be successful in your course but gives ALL students the opportunity to learn more effectively.

For more information on the importance of digital accessibility, watch the video below: 


Formatting for Accessibility

While many OER resources meet the accessibility standards set by the ADA, not all of them do. Below is a list of some elements to consider when formatting material for accessibility:

Multimedia

  • Videos must have accurate captions.
  • Audio files must have transcripts.
  • Images should have a caption and alternative text (alt text). 

Text

  • Color should be used sparingly and not the sole means of indicating meaning, and text and background colors should have sufficient color contrast Links to an external site.
  • Hyperlink text must be meaningful. Don’t use “click here” or the full URL of the link. 
  • Lists and Headings should be created using the features built into the content editor, rather than creating them manually.
  • Tables should be used to present data (not for visual formatting) and they need a caption as well as row and column headings.

For additional information, refer to this Accessibility Checklist Download Accessibility Checklist which includes more detailed information about different accessibility requirements.

Accessibility in Canvas

To learn more about how to make your OER materials accessible in Canvas, visit COC's Accessibility Resource Course. This course covers what you need to know to ensure your OER materials are accessible and includes instructions and short, easy-to-follow example videos.

Microsoft and Adobe

Microsoft products (including Word and PowerPoint) have built-in accessibility checkers. Adobe Acrobat Pro also has a built-in accessibility checker. You can learn more about these in the Self-Paced Courses from @ONE Links to an external site.. These cheat sheets from NCDAE Links to an external site. provide a good overview of how to build accessible content.


ASCCC OERI Webinars

Determining Whether or Not an Online Resource Is Accessible: Links to an external site. This webinar discusses strategies to help you identify if a resource is accessible. It includes a discussion of basic things to look for as well as online accessibility checker tools. This webinar is designed for OER Liaisons but is open to all.


Sources and More Reading


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