Accessibility Resources

Creating Accessible Documents

A document is considered accessible if it can be used as effectively by a student with disabilities as it can by those without.  This includes learners who are visually impaired and use screen readers or text-to-speech tools as well as those who are hearing impaired, color blind, prone to seizures, and who rely on a keyboard rather than a mouse for navigation.  

When creating content, follow a few key steps to ensure accessibility. These best practices apply across formats–whether you’re working in HTML, Microsoft Word, or another platform:

• Use heading styles to structure your document
• Format information using bulleted or numbered lists
• Write descriptive text for hyperlinks
• Add alternative (alt) text for images
• Use tables only for data, and structure them clearly

To learn how to apply these concepts in specific contexts, explore the following resources:

• Accessibility in Discovery
• Adding accessibility review block to Discovery
• Creating Accessible Documents in Microsoft Word
• Creating Accessible Presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint 
• Accessible Syllabus Template
• Universal Design and Accessibility