Accessibility

Course Content and General Support

Course content has been created with accessibility and usability in mind. All required course content is provided through Canvas, either embedded directly or accessed through links. No separate personal accounts are required for the course tools listed below, although Pierce College Library resources may require you to sign in with your Pierce credentials. Captioned video tutorials are included in relevant assignments to demonstrate how to use interactive tools and complete the required steps.

If you need help accessing or using a course tool, post your question in the Ask Here for Help discussion forum. I will answer your question or direct you to the appropriate support resource. If you believe you may need formal disability-related accommodations, please contact the Pierce College Academic Accommodation Center.

Course-Related External Tools

Accessibility details for additional course tools are described below.

Zoom

Zoom is used for optional virtual office hours. You can join each meeting by clicking the Zoom link provided in the Canvas Calendar. Zoom includes accessibility features such as keyboard navigation, screen-reader support, closed captioning, and adjustable display settings. Zoom broadly aligns with WCAG Level AA standards. For further details, see Accessibility in Zoom.

Embedded Multimedia and Interactive Content

This course includes embedded multimedia and interactive content to support learning.

Videos are hosted in Canvas Studio or embedded from YouTube, and all course videos include closed captions. Canvas Studio supports keyboard navigation and commonly used screen readers and follows W3C Web Accessibility Initiative and Section 508 guidelines. The YouTube player supports keyboard controls, screen readers, and customizable caption settings. For further details, see Accessibility within Canvas Studio and YouTube Accessibility Settings.

Interactive figures are presented through ThingLink. Their interactive tags include images with alternative text, videos with closed captions, and audio narration accompanied by the same information in text. The figures are designed and reviewed to support keyboard navigation and accessible use. ThingLink’s Accessibility Player meets WCAG Level AA standards. For further details, see the ThingLink Accessibility Statement.

Optional Journal Articles

Optional journal articles may be provided to extend your learning and may be accessed through Pierce College Library databases on platforms including ScienceDirect (by Elsevier), JSTOR, and ProQuest. All three platforms aim to meet WCAG Level AA standards and support accessibility features such as keyboard navigation and screen-reader use. Some older article PDFs may have accessibility limitations, but an accessible HTML or remediated PDF version will be provided for every optional article included in this course. For further details, see Elsevier Accessibility Statement, the JSTOR Accessibility Statement, and the ProQuest Accessibility Statement.

Interactive Maps and Tools

This course uses Google Earth to help you connect course concepts and processes to real-world features. Google Earth includes built-in accessibility features such as screen-reader support, high-contrast visual modes, and keyboard navigation. In this course, you will use basic viewing features, such as panning and zooming around the 3D globe. For further details, see Accessibility in Google Earth.

This course uses the California Geological Survey’s Tsunami Hazard Area Map to help you analyze how coastal topography influences potential tsunami flooding. The map allows you to zoom, pan, and select coastal locations to view mapped tsunami hazard areas. The Department of Conservation website is designed to meet WCAG Level AA standards, but interactive maps may have accessibility limitations. If you have difficulty accessing the map, information about requesting accessible content is available on the ADA Compliance and Web Content Accessibility page. If you have approved accommodations, you may also contact me as directed in the assignment’s Accessibility Statement.

This course uses NOAA Tide Predictions to help you locate a tide station and analyze predicted changes in tide height and timing. Tide predictions are provided in multiple formats, including an interactive graph, a daily tide summary, and a complete data listing showing the time, height, and type of each predicted tide. NOAA develops its websites in accordance with Section 508 accessibility requirements and evaluates them against WCAG Level A and AA standards. For further details, see NOAA Accessibility.