Start With Seven Core Skills

No matter your role at the University, you can cultivate a more inclusive, accessible, and equitable community for everyone. We encourage you to start small and learn one of the 7 core skills. Accessibility U provides specific information regarding "Impact," "Do's and Don'ts", and "How To's" for addressing each of these core skills. 

Accessibility Indicators of an Online Course

• Use of heading styles that are consistently used to aid navigation through course (heading levels (heading 1, heading 2, etc.) used in correct order; fonts, colors and formats (bold, italics, etc.) not used in lieu of heading styles 

• Lists created using the bullet or numbered list tools and not formatted manually (for use of screen reader) 

• Links are identified with meaningful and unique text in place of displaying the URL

• Tables: column and/or row header cells are designated so that screen readers can read table cells in the correct order. A table caption is included for more complex tables. 

• Color contrast: There is sufficient color contrast between foreground text and background to avoid difficulties for students with low vision 

• Color and Meaning: Color is not used as only means of conveying information, adding emphasis, indicating action, or otherwise distinguishing a visual element 

• Images: All images have appropriate alternative text, either explaining instructional value or indicating the image is decorative. Alternative text does not contain “image of,” “picture of” or file extension (e.g., “jpg”)

• Reading Order: reading order is correctly set so that content is presented in the proper sequence when using screen readers and other assistive technologies

• Slides: are created using build-in accessible slide layouts with each slide having a unique title. All text is visible in Outline View to be sure that I can be read by assistive technology 

• Spreadsheets: Including labels for the rows and columns, detailed labels for charts, and are accompanied by textual descriptions that draw attention to key cells, trends, and totals

• Accessibility Checkers: Files and content pages pass any build-in accessibility check available in the software

• Video: All vide have accurate captions. If a video has no audio or instructionally-relevant soundtrack a note explaining that should accompany the video (also, required video content inside the LMS or external video content linked to from within the course) 

• Audio: Audio files inside the LMS and external audio-only content linked to from within the course 

• Flashing Content: Blinking or flashing content, including gifs, should only be used if instructionally needed and not merely for decoration or emphasis. Flashing content must not flash more than three times in any one second period or exceed the general and red flash thresholds

• Live Captions: Live broadcast and synchronous video conferences must include a means for displaying synchronized captions if requested

• Audio-play: Audio and video content should not be set to auto-play. If any audio on a web page does auto-play for more than three seconds, a mechanism must be available to pause, stop and control the volume. (also, audio and video content inside the LMS or linked to from within the course)

Elements derived from the California Virtual Campus-Online Education Initiative that draws upon the work licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

See also, the Accessibility by Design website