Since 2010, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has required public colleges and universities to provide accessible course materials under Sections 504/508 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The standard for compliance was “good faith,” meaning that if colleges were working to make the materials accessible, no action would be taken until the DOJ or Department of Education received a complaint. Unfortunately, many colleges failed to make their course materials accessible, leading to a large number of complaints and lawsuits. Therefore, in April 2024, the DOJ issues new regulations that set two very clear regulations for accessibility:
- A technical standard, which will be WCAG 2.1.
- A firm deadline for compliance, which will be April 2026 for UMW.
The responsibility to make materials accessible falls upon the creator of those materials, and the goal is to allow students who need assistive technology to work independently. The resources below can help UMW faculty and staff prepare accessible course materials by the deadline.
Definition
According to the University of Montana Office of Legal Counsel and Compliance, “accessible” means that individuals with disabilities are able to independently acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services within the same timeframe as individuals without disabilities, with substantially equivalent ease of use.
Project Timeline
| Date | Update, Event, or Deadline |
|---|---|
| April 2024 | DOJ releases new ADA Title II Regulations |
| January 2025 | Panorama accessibility checker pilot begins |
| May 8, 2025, 9 AM or 1 PM | Making Accessible Documents Training, STC 105 |
| May 9, 2025 10 AM or 2 PM | Panorama Accessibility Tool Training, STC 105 |
| May 12, 2025 | Panorama accessibility checker available in all Canvas sites |
| April 2026 | UMW course materials and website need to be accessible |
Accessibility Basics for Creating Course Materials
- Use nested/hierarchical headings to communicate the organization or structure of a document. These must be set as the appropriate style and cannot be simply bold or underlined text.
- Use bulleted and numbered lists to group information and orient users to information.
- Provide alternative text (alt text) for any image that provides or enhances meaning. Only mark an image as “decorative” if it is merely part of the page design or is described within the text.
- Be careful with color. Do not use color alone to convey information, and make sure that there’s sufficient contrast between the background color and the text.
- Provide alternative formats for audio content. Apply accurate captions or subtitles to videos; provide transcripts for audio-only content.
- Create descriptive, meaningful hyperlinks. Links should be created within the actual text and should orient users to where the link will take them. Avoid short links and links that simply read, “Click here.” Only—and very rarely—use the actual URL as the link; reserve turning the URL into the link when expressing the equivalent of a home address.
- Use tables only when providing “tabular data,” displaying information in a grid or matrix for organizational purposes. Ensure that tables have captions or headings that denote the table’s purpose. Identify column and row headers.
- Identify the language used in the document or content.
Document Remediation
In the world of digital accessibility, remediation means updating a document to make it as accessible as possible. To make the most of our accessibility work, begin remediation work with the documents that we use the most in classes:
- Microsoft Word.
- PowerPoint presentations.
- PDF’s.
- Canvas Pages (and other content created with the Rich Content Editor).
The resources below can help you remediate those documents.
Notes about Remediating Microsoft Word Documents
Importantly, you may have created a document that uses visual cues to create headings (e.g., larger size, bold type), but those headings will not be properly “coded” behind the scenes for those needing assistive technology. Moreover, Word’s built-in accessibility checker will not identify that problem. Make sure that you have designated those headings in a way that can be recognized by assistive technology.
While Word does have a default color, size, etc. when it comes to establishing headings, you can format those headings anyway you wish. In existing documents, you can even set your preferred style for a certain heading. Check out the Making Microsoft Word Documents Accessible information to learn how.
Notes about Remediating PDF Documents
In general, if you have an accessible Word document and “Save as” a PDF, your resulting PDF will also be accessible. However, converted word documents with numerous images can create problems with what’s called “reading order.” Unfortunately, remediating these PDF’s requires Adobe Acrobat, an expensive program that we are unable to provide to everyone. Therefore, eLearning can provide remediation services on these documents.
If you are providing access to a PDF created by a government agency, that document will be accessible. Remember: Federal and state agencies have had to meet basic accessibility standards since 2010.
If you are scanning readings to share with students, the created PDF may only be an image that is not readable by assistive technology. eLearning recommends two methods for addressing this issue. First, utilize the book scanner in the Lucy Carson Library; it uses what’s called Optical Character Recognition to create fairly accessible PDF’s. Second, try locating the reading in the library’s subscription databases and linking to the article in Canvas. This solution not only provides an accessible document, it also eliminates copyright issues and therefore time limits on article use.
Notes about Remediating PowerPoints
When remediating PowerPoints, there are two main concerns. First, make sure that every slide has a unique title. Second, ensure that slides have a logical reading order. You can find directions for making these fixes in our Creating Accessible PowerPoint Presentations document.
Resources for Making Accessible Course Materials
- Creating accessible Microsoft Word documents.
- Creating accessible PowerPoint presentations.
- UMW course accessibility checklist.
- Using the Canvas Rich Content Editor.
Online, Asynchronous Accessibility Training
eLearning has made available a Canvas training on creating and remediating course materials for accessibility. You can self-enroll in the course. Then, you can work your way through from the beginning, or read the various sections as needed. If you do not have a Canvas account but wish to have access to the training, please contact eLearning.
Resources for Making STEM Content Accessible
- Beginner’s Guide to MathML
- W3C Math Home
- Create and Edit Math Equations with MathType
- Creating Accessible STEM Materials
- Accessibility Checklist for LaTeX Documents
- Making Accessible Documents Using LaTeX
- Equalize Editor (Braille Equation/Math Editor)
- MathPix Document Conversion
- Ohio State University LaTeX Accessibility Guide
- Michigan State University LaTex and Accessibility Issues
- LaTeX and Accessibility
- Making LaTeX More Accessible
- Making Accessible Maps in ARCGIS (esp. for colorblind individuals)
- Using Datawrapper to Make Accessible Charts, Graphs, and Maps
Special Considerations for a Variety of Disciplines
- Challenging Notions: Accessibility and the Arts
- How to Make Historical Documents Accessible for Low Vision
- US National Archives and Records Administration Digital Accessibility Information
- How to Make Charts and Graphs More Accessible
- Digital Accessibility: Data Visualizations, Charts, and Graphs
UMW Library Subscription Databases
By law, electronic resources are supposed to be accessible. In reality, the content providers are often still catching up to meet regulations. As eLearning and Library staff learn more about the accessibility of these resources we will post updates here. This document explains how to link to subscription database resources within Canvas.
| Subscription Database | Notes |
| JSTOR | PDF’s accessed and downloaded prior to January 2025 may not be accessible. If you are using resources accessed before that date, you will want to update the newer versions available on JSTOR. |
| Project MUSE | PDF’s available through Project MUSE were not accessible as of January 2025. However, the database provide html versions of articles that are accessible. When sharing these resources with students, link to the html version. |