Why is Accessibility Important for My Course Content?

Accessibility ensures that all students, including those with disabilities, can fully engage with your course materials and have an equal opportunity to succeed. Accessible content creates a better learning experience for everyone by making materials clearer, more organized, and easier to navigate. When your content is accessible, you help remove barriers that could otherwise prevent some students from participating fully in your course. 

Why Has There Been an Increase in Communication About Accessibility?

While we always strive to make our campus more accessible and inclusive, one of the main reasons for the increased communication is because of a new rule from the Department of Justice (DOJ) about digital accessibility. This rule specifically requires public higher education institutions to make their digital content accessible by April 24, 2026. 

Why Are You Asking Us to Copy Our Courses in Advance of the Semester?

You may have a student enrolled in your course with accommodations, such as captions for videos or accessible formats for text-to-speech or screen-reading software. Preparing your course early allows you more time to identify accessibility fixes for your content or to consult with our team.

Preparation now can make a significant difference for your students and help ensure a smoother start to the semester. We encourage you to complete these steps as soon as possible. Course accommodations are set up through the Office of Disability Services.

What Do I Do if I’m Creating New Content for My Course? 

If you are creating new content, we encourage you to integrate accessibility as you build. You can find a full list of simple, practical tips to make your new content more accessible on the Create Accessible Course Content page.

If you are reusing content from a previous course, we still recommend importing it to your upcoming course early and using tools like the Blackboard Accessibility Checker and WAVE by WebAIM.

When Do I Need to Have This Done? 

If you are copying your course to a new semester, please copy that content as soon as you can. This gives you more time to check your content for accessibility. If you are creating new content, please create your materials with accessibility built in. 

How Do I Start Making My Materials Accessible and What Should I Prioritize?

We recommend prioritizing the simplest accessibility errors first. Our Course Accessibility Overview page will walk you through where to start depending on the course content you are working on.

What Do I Do if I Have Handwritten Materials?

If you have handwritten materials, consider whether there are other ways you can share the same information, such as typed documents or digital notes, which are easier to make accessible. If you’ve already created handwritten materials, contact our team and we’ll work with you to create more accessible digital versions the next time you develop or update them.

What Kind of Support is Available To Help Me?

Our Accessibility Team is happy to discuss how to make your content accessible. We’re here to support you every step of the way — no question is too small!