Making Course Material Accessible

All materials distributed to students, whether in-class or online, in hard copy or electronic format, by faculty or GA, must be accessible to those who use adaptive technology software, such as screen readers. This page has various resources on how to make your course materials accessible for all students. You can do many things to make your classroom, course materials, and teaching more accessible to all students, including those who identify as having a disability.

Ensuring that all students have equal access to electronic and information technology teaching methods and resources is the responsibility of all administrators, faculty, and staff. Access by students with disabilities, in particular, is required by federal and state laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) (as amended in 2008), Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Included in the definition of electronic and information technology is all electronic instructional materials (syllabi, textbooks, presentations, handouts, etc.), including videos, whether delivered within the University's learning management system, in face-to-face classes, or in an alternate fashion (email, course websites, blogs, etc.). Also included are electronic instructional activities (online collaborative writing, web conferencing, etc.). Students with hearing and visual disabilities and other disabilities may have difficulty using electronic technology to learn and must be accommodated.

To ensure that disabled students can access content in a timely way along with other students, faculty must attend to technology accessibility issues before the student with disabilities requires the resources.

The University provides the information in this section to guide faculty in meeting access needs. But as stated, the faculty have the primary and ultimate responsibility to ensure that their instructional content is accessible in every course they teach. For specific questions or instructions, contact the designated disability representative for your school/college.