Course Accessibility Guide for Instructors

Course Accessibility Guide for Instructors (Title II Compliance)

As an instructor at a public institution, you are required under Title II of the ADA to ensure that all course content is accessible to students with disabilities. This aligns with WCAG 2.1 AA standards and ensures equal access to education for all learners. Below is a practical guide to help you design and deliver accessible course materials.

1. Making Documents & Course Materials Accessible

Use structured, readable text

  • Format headings properly (H1, H2, H3) instead of just bolding text.
  • Avoid scanned PDFs—use selectable, machine-readable text.
  • Ensure clear, descriptive hyperlinks (e.g., “Course Syllabus [PDF]” instead of “Click Here”).

Ensure sufficient contrast and text readability

  • Use high-contrast colors (4.5:1 ratio for text) to aid visibility.
  • Allow text resizing up to 200% without content loss.
  • Use accessible fonts (Arial, Calibri, Verdana) and avoid decorative fonts.
  • Non-text contrast of charts, graphs, and other meaningful non-text content meets the 3:1 contrast ratio.

Provide alternative formats

  • Offer Word or HTML versions of key documents if using PDFs.
  • If using PowerPoint slides, include structured slide titles and alt text for images.

2. Ensuring Multimedia Content is Accessible

Provide captions and transcripts

  • All prerecorded videos must have closed captions that accurately reflect spoken content and sound cues.
  • Upon request for accommodation, live lectures and webinars should have real-time captions or a CART (Communication Access Real-time Translation) service.
  • Audio content (e.g., podcasts) must include transcripts.

Ensure videos and images convey meaning beyond visuals

  • Add alt text to all images, charts, and infographics.
  • If a graphic contains essential information, provide a text-based explanation within the course materials.

Avoid flashing content or auto-playing media

  • Flashing content should not blink more than 3 times per second to prevent seizures.
  • Ensure that students can pause, stop, or adjust auto-playing content.

3. Creating an Accessible Learning Management System (LMS) Experience

Check if your LMS supports accessibility features

  • Use Canvas' accessibility tools (UDOIT see below) to check course materials.
  • Ensure that all course navigation is keyboard-accessible for students who cannot use a mouse. The default keyboard navigation for Canvas meets 2.1 AA requirements.

Make online quizzes and assignments accessible

  • Ensure form fields and answer choices are labeled for screen reader users.
  • Allow keyboard navigation and do not require drag-and-drop interactions without alternatives.
  • Provide extended time options for students who require accommodations.

Structure discussions and forums properly

  • Label discussion threads with clear topic names.
  • Avoid using CAPS LOCK or excessive punctuation, as screen readers interpret them differently.

4. Making Course Assessments & Interactive Content Accessible

Ensure exams and quizzes follow accessibility guidelines

  • Avoid timed tasks unless accommodations are provided.
  • Use accessible question formats, such as multiple-choice and text-entry fields, instead of requiring students to drag objects.
  • Offer alternative assessment formats for students with disabilities.

Use accessible collaboration tools

  • If using Microsoft Teams or Zoom, check their accessibility features (e.g., screen reader support, captioning).
  • Ensure all shared documents meet accessibility standards before distributing them.

5. Supporting Students with Disabilities

Communicate accessibility options early

  • Include an accessibility statement in your syllabus, letting students know how to request accommodations.
  • Provide alternative formats upon request for any inaccessible content.

Test your content with accessibility tools

  • Use UDOIT to review the accessibility of course content.
  • Run documents through Microsoft Word’s accessibility checker or Adobe Acrobat’s PDF accessibility tool.
  • Test your course with screen readers (e.g., NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver).

Final Thoughts: Why Accessibility Matters for Instructors

  • It’s the Law – Title II requires all public course content to be accessible.
  • It Benefits Everyone – Clear, structured materials improve learning for all students, not just those with disabilities.
  • It Reduces Barriers – Accessible content helps students using screen readers, those with cognitive disabilities, and learners accessing materials on mobile devices.

By following these guidelines, you ensure that all students, regardless of ability, can fully participate in your course.

Tools for Success

UDOIT (Universal Design Online Inspection Tool) is an accessibility checker designed for Canvas LMS. It helps instructors identify and fix accessibility issues in course content to ensure compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA, Section 508, and Title II of the ADA.

All employees at Texas State can add UDOIT to their Canvas courses to help find and fix accessibility issues with course content.

  1. Open settings in any course
  2. Select Navigation from the tab list
  3. Enable UDOIT from the list of tools

It will now appear in your navigation and allow you to scan, track, and fix accessibility errors in your course. Cidilabs provides a robust user guide for UDOIT which you should reference for specific instructions.