Checklist Accessible Course Design

General Requirements
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Classroom

Videos

Textbooks

Course Materials 
  • Canvas has a built-in Accessibility Checker for course creation!!  You can find the instructions on how to use it while creating a course and content here: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-13345-4152808104
  • ALL digital and electronically housed material required for the course is accessible upon its introduction into the course, regardless of whether or not a student with a disclosed disability or accommodation is present in the class.
  • SHU-approved requests for accessible course materials are honored within acceptable timelines (generally these are spelled out on the Letter of Accommodation request documents, and in an email before course start date).  SEE SPECIFIC ELEMENTS BELOW for steps to take to facilitate requests.
  • Instructors familiar with the Rights and Responsibilities for themselves and their students, especially confidentiality requirements.
  • Lighting is bright and diffuse (poor lighting can impact both low-vision and Deaf/Heard-of-hearing individuals, as well as lower energy level sand attention for all students).
  • Room/Furniture layout allows for free movement around classroom for those with mobility devices or ambulatory challenges.  Contact Office of Accessibility if there are specific needs that cannot be arranged before the start of class, or if the classroom does not match the needs of enrolled students.
  • All videos used in class are closed-captioned upon their introduction into the course.  YouTube automatic captioning DOES NOT satisfy ADA requirements, and must be edited to comply with captioning standards.  See the Caption the Campus page for guidance in obtaining closed captioning, or creating compliant captions.
  • E-book versions of textbooks are available in ACCESSIBLE formats.  When considering a textbook, check with the publisher to see if it supplies an accessible e-book format (this means readable by screen-reader software, not just an electronic version like Kindle or Audible).  If the publisher does not make one, contact OA to see if they are able to locate an accessible version of the e-book from other sources.
    ​NOTES: For many students with and without disabilities, e-books are a much more accessible, functional option than print text, so it is usually well worth the time to locate an accessible e-book text.  HOWEVER, e-books housed within some Learning Management Systems can cause technical interface problems with screen readers.  Contact OA for assistance.
Here is a Quick Guide for popular document accessibility.

Handouts

  • PDFs, including syllabi and course resources, are in accessible format.  For help with formatting/reformatting PDFs, see Accessible Documents under the "How-To" pages.
  • Syllabi include the University's policy statement regarding accommodations and how to identify and register if students need accommodations.
  • MS Word documents, including syllabi, are set up in advance in accessible formats.  For help with formatting/reformatting MS Word documents, see Accessible Documents under the "How-To" pages.

PowerPoint Presentations

  • Size of font and images, and contrast between font and background, is sufficient to needs of low-vision audience members or online users. For help with formatting/reformatting Power Point Presentations, see Accessible Documents under the "How-To" pages.

Other Accessible Media
NOTE: the learning management system used at SHU, Canvas, meets accessibility requirements (at its base). The following resources,  guidelines and checklists were created to be used in assessing instructor-created materials, including materials uploaded to Canvas, as well as any websites and other online materials housed outside of Canvas.
  • WCAG 2.0 Standards
    ​On January 18, 2017, the U.S. Access Board published a final rule updating accessibility requirements for information and communication technology (ICT) covered by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and Section 255 of the Communications Act. The law adopts by reference the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level A and Level AA success criteria for all ICT. Staff should refer to the official W3C WCAG 2.0 website as the definitive source for accessibility compliance questions. The site provides information about the WCAG 2.0 principles, guidelines and success criteria, as well as detailed explanations of How to Meet WCAG 2.0 Requirements. TCSG and its colleges should ensure that their websites and ICT conform to Level AA criteria.

Graphic Design
(www.AcceDe.Info) (Manual)
This manual provides guidelines for making graphic design and forms comply with WCAG 2.0 standards. Excellent resource for graphic designers and PR teams.  Includes information about navigation, font, color contrast, hyperlinks, tables, forms and multimedia. 
http://wiki.accede-web.com/en/notices/graphique-ergonomique

HTML and Web Accessibility (Videos)
AMAC’s training video on web accessibility is recommended for IT and web development staff.  This module contains 9 lessons, which range from 5 to 20 minutes in length each. Expect to spend about two hours watching this video if you choose to watch the whole module from start to finish. Web developers, who are already familiar with the basics of web accessibility, may want to skip straight to Lessons 6.1 and 6.2: Fixing Web Accessibility Issues. The stated learning objectives of this module are to: define web accessibility, review common terminology used in web design and development, understand how users with accessibility needs access the web, evaluate website for accessibility issues using online tools, remediate code to make a website accessible, and discover how HTML5 and ARIA can be used to enhance website accessibility.

HTML and CSS 
(AcceDe.Info) (Manual)
This manual provides easy to understand guidelines for making web pages accessible.  Topics include structure, metadata, images, links, forms, CSS and more.  This manual assures conformance with WCAG 2.0. 
http://wiki.accede-web.com/en/notices/html-css?DokuWiki=2cmm738n2sf2iuhup68sn4hl64





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We would love to help!
​Contact Cody Marie Mathis, Accessibility Coordinator, 
accessibility@sienaheights.edu for questions, comments, or more assistance.
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
-Francis of Assisi