Accessibility compliance: Creating and selecting accessible course materials
Providing guidance on creating and selecting accessible course materials, this resource outlines various material types and their accessibility considerations. It includes steps and resources for campus services like BlackBoard Collaborate and Learn@UW, as well as tips for making PDFs and social media content accessible. Specific references to services like McBurney's Document Conversion Service and Media Captioning Service are included, along with links to relevant resources. This sheet serves as a comprehensive tool for educators aiming to enhance accessibility in their course materials.
Content article
Accessibility compliance in creating and selecting accessible course materials is crucial for ensuring inclusivity in education, with a focus on various material types and the steps necessary to achieve compliance.
For campus services, BlackBoard Collaborate and printed course packets are highlighted as essential tools. When preparing printed course packets, it is advised to retain original files, including Word documents and electronic versions like PDFs, along with the sources or URLs of originals. Collaborating with McBurney's Document Conversion Service can enhance accessibility. Course reserves also require similar attention; keeping original files and creating tagged PDFs is recommended, along with consulting the library about Library Course Pages for additional resources.
The Learn@UW (D2L) platform is noted for its overall accessibility, which is contingent on the accessibility of all content added to courses, including audio, video, links, and files. For PDF documents, it is best to create them electronically from the original document rather than scanning, and tools like Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Office can be utilized to make tagged PDFs. Adobe Acrobat offers a feature to test a file's accessibility through the Advanced > Accessibility > Full check option, and it is advisable to use the Read Out Loud feature to check how well the PDF reads. Additionally, PDFs containing images require alternative text, and a check for reading order is necessary to ensure proper navigation.
Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter vary in accessibility, and it is recommended to search for specific information on each site's accessibility features or consult with DoIT Academic Technology. When it comes to textbooks, it is important to inquire with textbook representatives about accessibility options and to select textbooks early to allow time for conversion if an accessible version is not available. For e-textbooks, confirming the accessibility of the corresponding e-reader is also essential.
In the realm of UW-Madison Google Apps, resources for developers and publishers are available, along with specific links to accessible Google Docs and technical administrator resources. The Moodle platform at UW-Madison encourages users to monitor development or forum pages for new accessibility features. Video captioning is another critical area; selecting videos with existing captions, retaining scripts from production, and collaborating with McBurney's Media Captioning Service for videos lacking captions are all recommended practices. For audio recordings, keeping scripts and offering text transcripts is crucial, and if transcripts are unavailable, working with the Media Captioning Service is advised.
Course websites must ensure that all images and photos include alternate text, and it is important to strive toward meeting the 15 Section 508 guidelines. Various resources are available for designing with web standards, including links to testing webpages with tools like Wave and the Functional Accessibility Evaluator. Writing effective alternate text is also emphasized, with tips from WebAIM and the World Wide Web Consortium providing guidance on describing photos and images while skipping alternate text for decorative elements.
In the applications section, Adobe products have dedicated accessibility resources, including specific guidance for Adobe Acrobat and Flash. For Microsoft Office applications, it is recommended to use styles to establish heading structure, insert alternate text for images, and utilize the Accessibility Checker available in both Word and PowerPoint to ensure compliance.
Web and application development also plays a significant role in accessibility. Upgrading code with new ARIA roles for HTML5 is essential, and a quick test checklist based on the Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act (IITAA) is available for assessing website accessibility. Developer testing extensions for Firefox and Chrome can assist in evaluating accessibility during the development process.
Finally, accessibility considerations extend to programming languages and mobile applications. Techniques from the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative should be applied to mobile apps, with specific resources available for iPhone and Android development to ensure compliance with accessibility standards. Java and Python also have dedicated resources for enhancing accessibility within their respective frameworks.