"[Instructors] have legal and ethical obligations to ensure [that] courses are fully accessible to all learners, including those with disabilities. We use digital resources in our courses because we believe they enhance learning. However, unless carefully chosen with accessibility in mind, these resources can have the opposite effect for students with disabilities, erecting daunting barriers that make learning difficult or impossible" (from ASCCC OERI: Accessibility Resources).
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, developed by the World Wide Web Consortium, provides an international standard that defines accessibility of web-based resources. The WCAG 2.0 Guidelines recommends that all digital resources should be POUR:
To learn more, watch the following video and visit the IT Accessibility Checklist, developed at the University of Washington.
From ASCCC OERI Accessibility Resources (CC BY). Content adapted from WebAIM’s Introduction to Web Accessibility (copyrighted)
How can you test your resources to ensure they are accessible? Use the below tools to help. If you are using Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, or Canvas keep in mind that these programs have built in accessibility checkers that work to varying degrees.
A list of helpful resources for evaluating accessibility.
Free screen reading software can be used to test resources.
Instructions on how to use the accessibility checker in Canvas.
Accesibility checker for Google Docs. Add-on to Chrome browser.
Use the colorblind filter to test web pages for color blind anomalies.
Daltonize corrects images for color blind users.
Create and verify PDF accessibility in Acrobat Pro.
Read Out Loud is a Text-to-Speech (TTS) tool that is built into Adobe Reader.
"These bookmarklets help web developers and designers see the "big picture" regarding web accessibility."
The Screen Curtain Bookmarklet allows engineers, testers, educators, and students to temporarily obscure web technologies while using screen readers in order to simulate the experience of using such technologies without sight.
WebAIM provides a variety of articles, resources, and accessibility evaluation tools.
Provides resources for each content creator, instructional designer, educational technologist, librarian, administrator, and teaching assistant to create a truly open textbook—one that is free and accessible for all students.
The OER Accessibility Toolkit provides information (to non-technical users) on the creation of open and accessible educational resources for all students.
Faculty Guide on Open Educational Resources (OER) and Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) classes at Butte College. Provides an extensive list of resources for creating accessible OER and online courses.
How to create accessible education materials from the National Center on Accessible Education Materials.
Cheatsheets for creating accessible content in Microsoft applications, Adobe, and other online programs.
Best practices in Canvas.
There are free courses available on different aspects of accessibility. If you don't know where to start learning about accessibility, you may want to consider taking an introductory course.
Self paced challenge. You will learn one accessibility skill each day. Cost is free through @One.
@One offers a range of self-paced short courses on a number of accessibility topics. Cost is free.
This course was designed with two compatible goals. It is intended to:
-introduce all faculty to the basics of developing accessible content and
-provide faculty who will be developing and/or curating open educational resources (OER) with an understanding of accessibility basics.
Self-paced mini course through @One "introduce[s] you to strategies for identifying and eliminating barriers to learning in your Canvas course." Cost is free.