
When your course materials — readings, videos, slides, websites, etc. — are accessible, all students benefit. Students often use several modalities to access and engage with course materials such as phone, tablet, laptop or desktop, and may or may not have access to reliable and stable internet access. Additionally students with disabilities are able to engage with your course materials without any barriers, often using assistive technologies such as screen readers or closed captioning. To best support all learners and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is important to include accessibility throughout your course.
Headings are important for someone who navigates the computer from their keyboard to quickly move through content on a page.
Organize Content Using Pre-Formatted Headings in D2L
Images, graphics, diagrams, charts, and tables are key communication tools and can greatly enhance the learning experience. All images should include alternative text to describe the image to someone who uses a screen reader. More complicated images such as diagrams, charts, and tables should include alternative text (alt-text) to describe the diagram as well as any text included in the diagram. Review guidelines about making complex diagrams accessible.
Note: At times an accommodation in discussion with the Disability Resource Center may be needed.
Alt-text should convey information about an image as well as the intended meaning or use of the image and any included text or visual information. For example, if you include an image of a cake to wish someone happy birthday, your alt- text might say, “happy birthday! vanilla cake with frosting and 5 candles”.
Add Headings to Table Rows and Columns in D2L
Add Alternative Text to Images in D2L
Color in a digital environment requires sufficient contrast between the foreground and background for text. Additionally, color should not be used as the sole means to communicate information. For example, “all assignments in red are due on Thursday” would not be accessible. This example would limit people who do not see the color red or who use screen readers. Instead, use bold or italic to emphasize or highlight important information.
Use Appropriate Font Sizes, Colors, and Contrast in D2L
There are two types of commonly used lists in content authoring: ordered and unordered lists. Ordered lists include numbers or letters from the alphabet (a, b, c) for information that is chronological or hierarchical using the list tool. A common mistake is typing the number or letter to create a list. This does not create a structural list and can not be used in navigation by a screen reader user. Unordered (bulleted) is the second commonly used list for information with no ranking or order attached.
You may use different types of documents in your course materials such as PowerPoint, PDFs, Word Docs, Google Docs, etc. Consistency between documents is important for readability and findability. Here are a few guidelines to consider as you develop your course materials:
For help creating accessible materials with other software, check out PSU’s Digital Accessibility Guides and Resources.
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