Improving Accessibility: It Benefits Everyone
Accessibility is a word that is being used a lot lately, but do we know what it means and how to improve accessibility in online courses? In this article, we’ll define accessibility and look at how we can improve accessibility. Accessibility refers to the design and implementation of systems, and content to ensure equitable access for everyone. What does this look like? It could mean that documents have headers so they can be read by screenreaders. Or videos have closed-captioning or an attached transcript, so people don’t always have to listen to the recording. It’s about making content accessible in a variety of ways. So how is this beneficial for students?
Accommodates Various Learning Styles
Accessibility not only benefits students with disabilities but also caters to diverse learning styles. Incorporating multiple modalities in teaching materials, such as providing transcripts for audio content or providing captions for videos, allows students to choose the format that best suits their learning preferences. This flexibility enhances the overall educational experience, fostering a more engaging and inclusive learning environment.
Promotes Diversity and Inclusion
Accessibility in higher education promotes diversity and inclusion. It sends a powerful message that all students, regardless of their abilities, are welcome and valued. A diverse student body enhances the overall learning experience by exposing everyone to different perspectives, backgrounds, and ways of thinking.
Includes Digital Accessibility
Digital technology plays a pivotal role in education. From online courses to digital learning platforms, colleges and universities are increasingly relying on technology to deliver educational content. Ensuring digital accessibility is crucial to accommodate students with diverse needs. This involves designing courses, documents, and other digital resources in a way that allows users to navigate and comprehend the content.
Examples of Digital Accessibility
When making content accessible, remember the acronym SILT. This stands for Structure, Images/Media, Links and Tables. So, what does this look like in practice?
Structure – When writing a document, make sure to use the headings feature. This does more than just make the font bigger; it tags the words so a screen reader can skip from heading to heading. When making a list, use the bullets feature or the numbering feature in Word to tag the items, so a screen reader will read the items as a list.
Images/Media – There should be alt tags with pictures. Videos should have closed captioning or an attached transcript.
Links – A screen reader reads what is there, so the link should be meaningful, such as, read this article from the National Center on Disaility and Access to Education to learn how to make documents more accessible.
Tables – Make sure tables have properly identified headings. This allows the screen reader to identify a table and read the content correctly.
Check Accessibility in Canvas
In Canvas, you can click on the Ally Course Accessibility Report tab on the left Navigation Bar. This report will show you the Ally Accessibility Score for your course and how to improve it. Find more information about this by reading the Ask PGCC Ally Accessibility Article.
Accessibility is not just a legal requirement but a fundamental principle that underpins the values of inclusivity, equal opportunity, and diversity. By prioritizing accessibility, we can create an environment where every student can fully engage in the learning process, fostering a culture of academic excellence.
Did you know that Canvas has a built-in Screen Reader? Simply click on the Immersive Reader tab in the upper right hand corner. 
Did you know that Canvas has alternative ways for students to read the text? When students click to download a document, they can chose from a variety of alternative formats. See below.
Still have questions or what to learn more? Send an email to eLearning at elearning@pgcc.edu
