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 available to UMW faculty |
| 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.
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.
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