Accessible Digital Content

Accessible Digital Content

We support accessibility as a proactive approach to designing digital content and learning environments so they are usable by everyone from the start, reducing barriers before they occur rather than relying on individual accommodations. Ethically, accessibility reflects our shared commitment to fairness, inclusion, and learner dignity by ensuring all students can participate without needing to request special exceptions. Pedagocially, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) encourages us to proactively design learning environments that offer multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression, thereby reducing barriers to access and ensuring equitable participation for all learners. Legally, new federal regulations require all digital content (including Canvas courses, course materials, publisher content, web-based content, and technology tools) meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standards. These standards promote a consistent and inclusive experience for all learners, including those with disabilities. 

Accessibility is a shared journey, and CETL is here to support faculty in making your digital content accessible to all learners. Email us at cetl@ndnu.edu or schedule a meeting with a team member to discuss digital accessibility in your course.

Getting Started 

For those new to accessibility, below you will find a list of 10 ways to get started with digital accessibility along with resources to learn more. Rather than see accessibility as a checklist or "one and done" effort, we encourage you to think of it as an ongoing practice that reflects our commitment to engage every learner.

10 ways to get started with digital accessibility

1. Accessibility checkers: Become familiar with accessibility checkers to help you to identify any accessibility issues and make content more accessible.

2. Alternative text (alt text): Learn to add alternative descriptive text to all images and graphics.

3. Readable font and color contrast: Learn to make design choices to increase readability for all.

4.  Descriptive hyperlinks: Learn to replace long website URLs with descriptive hyperlinks.

5. Structured headings and lists: Learn to structure documents using built-in headings and lists.

6. Accessible data tables: Learn to format data tables to be readable for all.

7. Accessible formatting for various document types: Learn how to apply all of the accessibility skills above to different types of documents (Word, PowerPoint, Google docs, and PDFs).

8. Captions and transcripts: Learn to add captions and create transcripts for audio and video files.

9. Accessibility statements: Review accessibility statements from publishers and third party vendors to confirm access for all users before sharing content with students.

10. Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Apply UDL principles to improve access and agency for all students. A few examples of UDL in action include:

  • Make content available in multiple formats: e.g., text, audio, visuals, videos with captions, etc.
  • Invite students to connect with their interests and motivation in a variety ways: e.g., choice on assignments, options for individual work and collaboration, etc.
  • Ask students to demonstrate their learning in multiple ways as in multi-modal assignments.

Learn more at the CAST, UDL Guidelines 3.0 

Introducing Ally

At NDNU we recently added the Ally integration in Canvas: a set of tools that help students, faculty, and the institution improve accessibility of our Canvas courses. Select faculty are currently piloting the use of Ally in preparation for a full campus rollout. 

For students, Ally includes a tool within Canvas that students can use to download course readings in a variety of formats, including screen reader-friendly formats, audio formats (mp3 files), and dynamic text formats with translation tools and reading enhancement tools, to name a few. Faculty are encouraged to support students in the use of alternative formats in alignment with accessibility goals and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) pedagogy. 

For faculty, Ally tools can guide faculty in understanding and improving the accessibility of a Canvas course. Instructors, like students, can benefit from access to the alternative formats generated by Ally. In addition, instructors will see scores on the accessibility of content along with feedback on how to improve scores to make content more accessible. Lastly, faculty will be able to access a course accessibility report with an accessibility summary and overview to guide strategic improvement efforts. Please note: students are NOT able to view accessibility scores or the course accessibility report. 

For administrators, Ally can help adminstrators track institutional progress of our accessibility efforts as well as identify areas which need support and/or training resources, to help us fulfill our campus mission and vision to serve all students.