Creating Accessible Content: Academic Course Content

Accessible course content helps ensure that all students can fully participate in learning, regardless of disability or course format. At Saginaw Valley State University, electronic instructional materials, whether required or optional, should be accessible in face-to-face, hybrid and online courses, and across all electronic distribution methods used for university instruction.

This includes course materials such as syllabi, readings, presentations, handouts and assignments, as well as instructional activities such as videos, web conferencing, discussion boards and collaborative tools.

Who Is Responsible?

Accessibility is a shared responsibility. Individuals responsible for course content include:

• Faculty, instructors and others who create, post or share course content
• Departments and academic units overseeing instructional materials and delivery
• Vendors and publishers providing digital learning materials used in SVSU courses

What Standards Must Be Met?

Course content should align with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA and support the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Third-Party Content and Tools

If you use third-party content such as documents, videos, images, publisher materials or external tools, you are responsible for considering accessibility before sharing them with students.

• Use accessible versions of materials whenever possible
• Avoid posting inaccessible documents when alternatives are available
• Provide an accessible alternative or another way to obtain the information when accessibility cannot be ensured
• Work with your department, CETL or IT when accessibility questions arise

Support for Faculty

Faculty do not have to manage accessibility alone. SVSU provides support through:

• Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) for support with accessible course design, instructional materials and teaching practices
• IT Support for technical questions related to systems, platforms and tools

Instructor Responsibilities

Instructors are expected to help ensure that course content is accessible to all students. This includes:

• Using accessible formats for core course materials, including syllabi, readings, presentations and assignments
• Using built-in accessibility checkers in Microsoft Office before sharing materials
• Providing accurate captions for required video content and transcripts for audio-only content
• Ensuring images, charts and diagrams include meaningful text alternatives
• Organizing content using clear structure, including headings, lists and properly formatted tables
• Using descriptive link text that clearly explains the destination or action
• Reviewing third-party content for accessibility before sharing it with students
• Providing alternative access or contacting support when accessibility cannot be ensured

Accessibility Best Practices

Use Accessible Formats

• Use accessible Word, Excel, Powerpoint or HTML content when possible instead of PDFs
• When PDFs are necessary, ensure they are properly structured and accessible
• Use built-in accessibility checkers before distributing materials

Use Clear Structure

• Use headings, lists and tables correctly to organize content
• Avoid relying on bold text, larger font or color alone to show structure or importance
• Use meaningful headings to help students navigate content more easily

Images and Visual Content

• Provide meaningful alternative text for images that convey information
• Provide text descriptions or other equivalents for charts, graphs and diagrams
• Do not rely on color alone to communicate important information

Video and Audio

• Provide accurate captions for video content
• Provide transcripts for audio-only content
• Ensure third-party media includes captions or accessible alternatives before assigning it
• When visuals convey essential information, provide audio description or another equivalent explanation

Links

• Use descriptive link text that explains the destination or action
• Avoid vague phrases such as “click here” or “learn more”
• Check links regularly to make sure they work

Assessments and Activities

• Provide clear instructions for assignments, discussions and activities
• Allow for accommodations when timed activities are used
• Avoid activities that depend only on drag-and-drop or other interactions without accessible alternatives
• Consider whether students using assistive technology can complete the activity successfully

STEM, Equations and Complex Content

• Use accessible equation editors rather than images of equations whenever possible
• Provide text alternatives or data tables for complex visuals
• Ensure that symbols, notation and diagrams can be understood by students using assistive technologies

Training and Resources

Faculty who need support creating accessible instructional materials should contact CETL. Questions about systems, platforms or technical tools should be directed to IT Support.