Course Accessibility Checklist
Your toolkit for creating accessible course materials.
Course Accessibility Categories
With the new Title II requirements in place, instructors are responsible for the accessibility of their course content. The following information can help guide your efforts.
- Syllabus. An accessible course starts with an accessible syllabus. You can use the tools below to build a solid foundation.
- Types of Documents. Find directions for creating accessible documents for several common file types.
- Audio and Video. Get help captioning video content used in your classroom.
- Third Party Content. Learn accessibility requirements for third-party services.
- The syllabus document is accessible with appropriate use of headers, lists, hyperlinks, and image alt-text when images are used.
- See the section below on making documents accessible for more information
- The syllabus has an accessibility statement of support for students with disabilities.
- Contains a clear outline for course learning goals, expectations, and content.
- Contains a process and contact for technical assistance.
- Contains an expected response time for communication.
The University of Mississippi is committed to the creation of inclusive learning environments for all students. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in barriers to your full inclusion and participation, or to accurate assessment of your achievement, please contact the course instructor as soon as possible. Barriers may include, but are not necessarily limited to, timed exams and in-class assignments, difficulty with the acquisition of lecture content, inaccessible web content, and the use of non-captioned or non-transcribed video and audio files. If you are registered with SDS, you must log in to your Rebel Access portal at rebel-access-portal to request approved accommodations. If you are NOT registered with SDS, you must complete the process to become registered. To begin that process, please visit our website at apply-for-services.
SDS will:
- Complete a comprehensive review to determine your eligibility for accommodations,
- If approved, disseminate to your instructors a Faculty Notification Letter,
- Facilitate the removal of barriers, and
- Ensure you have equal access to the same opportunities for success that are available to
all students.
If you have questions, contact SDS at 662-915-7128 or sds@olemiss.edu.
- All visual headings are also Word headings (found under Home > Styles).
- These headings follow a logical heading level order (Heading 1 followed by Heading 2, etc.).
- The Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker (Review > Check Accessibility) was used to identify and resolve issues.
- All color contrast issues in the checker have been addressed.
- Non-decorative images include descriptive alt-text. Verify the accuracy of the alt text for each image.
- Tables should have a header row (with your select Table Tools > Layout on the ribbon, then choose the Repeat Header Rows option in the Data section).
- Tables should not have merged or split cells.
- Hyperlink text is descriptive and meaningful (avoids using “click here” or “read more”).
- Word built-in lists are used (list options can be found under Home > Paragraph).
- Color alone is not used to convey meaning.
Word Resources
- The Power Point presentation was created with a built-in template, and the use of ad-hoc text boxes to add content was avoided.
- Use the Slide Master tool to create slide templates if needed.
- The Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker (Review > Check Accessibility) was used to identify and resolve issues.
- The reading order of the on-slide elements have been verified by going to Review> Check Accessibility> Reading Order Pane.
- There is sufficient color contrast between text and background and all contrast issues in the checker have been addressed.
- Each slide has a meaningful title. Issues found with titles can be resolved by adding a visible or hidden title.
- Non-decorative images include descriptive alt-text. Verify the accuracy of the alt text for each image.
- Images of text are not used in the presentation. If they are, the alt text must include all of the text displayed in the image.
- Tables are avoided or very simple.
- Hyperlink text is descriptive and meaningful (avoids using “click here” or “read more”).
- True bulleted and numbered lists are used (asterisks and tab are avoided).
- Color alone is not used to convey meaning.
PowerPoint Resources
- Avoid using PDFs if at all possible.
- If you have to use a PDF, ensure it is not a scanned PDF or image-only PDF.
- Scanned PDFs can been converted to highlightable text using the UM Document Converter or the Ally tool within Blackboard.
- If you must use a PDF, convert from an original Word or PowerPoint file that was accessible in its native format. Use the export or save as PDF options, do not use print to PDF.
- Also provide the file in its native format to students if possible.
- PDFs can be remediated for accessibility using Adobe Acrobat Pro/DC, specialized remediation software such as CommonLook, or through a third-party remediation company. CommonLook is available for users who produce many PDFs and helps streamline the remediation process, though some training is still needed. To request access, fill out the CommonLook Request Form.
PDF Resources
- Excel tables are used to convey data (Insert > Table).
- Color alone is not used to convey meaning.
- Header rows and column headings are specified (Table Design > Table Style Options).
- Tables should have a maximum of one column header and one row header.
- Cell A1 should have text within it, ideally with important information about the worksheet.
- Hyperlink text is descriptive and meaningful (avoids using “click here” or “read more”).
- Worksheet names are descriptive (avoid “Sheet 1”, etc.)
- Merged cells were avoided.
- The Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker was used to identify and resolve issues.
Excel Resources
Audio and Video
- All video content used in class or as a class resource (online, DVD, VHS) is accurately captioned.
- Avoid unedited auto captions in YouTube and similar platforms.
- Ensure transcripts are available for audio-only materials.
Audio and Video Resources
- Please reach out to accessibility@olemiss.edu for captioning assistance
- For more information see our Captions page
Third Party Content
In order to provide an inclusive environment for teaching and learning, all services used (including social media apps and third-party software) must be accessible to all or, in circumstances where they cannot be, accommodations must be provided.
Faculty who have made a reasoned determination to use third-party apps or tools in a classroom are responsible for determining whether the app or tool complies with web accessibility requirements. accessibility@olemiss.edu can help you with accessibility evaluations.