As the semester gets underway, this is a gentle reminder that faculty are responsible for creating course materials that are accessible to all students. While the start of the term is often packed with course preparation, Canvas/LMS setup, and student communication, building accessibility into materials from the beginning can prevent barriers before they arise. University-wide guidelines were published in 2021 to ensure that all new content aligns with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA. Faculty are expected to make a good-faith, proactive effort to ensure their materials meet these standards and support equitable access for all learners.

A few best practices to help you get started:

• Use built-in formatting tools for styles, headings (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.), and lists (bullets, numbers, etc.) to provide structure and easier navigation.
• Ensure PDFs are searchable and selectable (not scanned images).
• Provide meaningful text for all hyperlinks, describing the link’s destination or purpose.
• Use tables for displaying data, not for page layout; be sure to include header rows and defined borders in tables.

For multimedia:

• Use high contrast visuals: dark text on a light background or light text on a dark background; avoid using color as the only way to distinguish highlighted areas of your document/slide.
• Provide Alt Text (short written descriptions) for all non-decorative images, graphs, charts, or other non-textual elements.
• Include captions and transcripts with all videos, including short clips and instructor-created recordings.

Other considerations:

• If you use Canvas, take advantage of the built-in accessibility checker as well as Ally, a third-party tool that flags accessibility issues course-wide, including those found in uploaded external content (such as PDFs).
• In addition to accessibility, applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles can further support diverse learners by offering flexible ways to engage with course content and demonstrate learning:
  • Provide materials in more than one format when possible, such as text, images, or video.
  • Offer a choice in how students demonstrate their learning: essay, group presentation, written vs. oral exam, etc.
  • Provide multiple opportunities for students to engage with course content; some examples include case studies, class discussion, collaboration with peers, guest speakers, and field trips.

This is not a complete list – faculty are encouraged to explore in more detail the university’s resources on how to create an accessible learning environment:

• Accessibility Guidelines for Course Materials from CTEI
• JHU’s Guide to Digital Accessibility
• Teaching Toolkit from BSPH
• Checklist for Making Accessible MS Office and PDF documents
• Hopkins Universal Design for Learning (HUDL)

Do you have additional questions about accessibility? Contact your division’s teaching and learning center for more assistance.

Amy Brusini, Senior Instructional Designer
Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation 

Image source: magele-picture – stock.adobe.com, Canvas screenshot