Body
Description
In some cases, course content cannot be made fully accessible within a reasonable timeframe or with available tools. This may include legacy materials, third‑party content, specialized formats, or time‑sensitive instructional materials.
This article outlines what instructors should do when accessibility barriers cannot be resolved quickly, including recommended alternatives and support resources.
Environment
Canvas in your web browser
Solution
Determine Whether Content Can Be Made Accessible with Available Tools
Before assigning course materials, instructors should first determine whether accessibility issues can be addressed using available tools or minor revisions.
Examples of content that can often be fixed quickly:
Examples of content that may require more time to fix:
- PDFs of scanned books or articles
- Images of text, like infographics or math or science equations
- Third-party tools or content that haven't been reviewed
- Large number of audio or video files that need manual transcripts or captions added
Consideration:
If content can be made accessible with minimal effort, it should be remediated before the course begins. Start with content that affects the majority of your students and find simple fixes via your course accessibility checker. If you know content is not accessible, it should be fixed, removed, or replaced before the course begins whenever possible.
Provide an Accessible Alternative
When content cannot be made accessible quickly, instructors must provide an accessible alternative so students can achieve the same learning outcomes. An accessible alternative should allow students to meet the same learning objectives as the original content.
Examples of alternatives:
- Linking to an accessible version of the material through University Libraries
- Providing a text‑based explanation or summary of visual content
- Replacing an inaccessible reading with an equivalent accessible resource
- Offering a different assignment or activity that meets the same objectives
Consideration:
Changes to course content should be equivalent in educational value. Keep in mind that making content more accessible benefits all students, not just individuals with specific accommodations.
Third‑Party and External Content
Some accessibility issues originate from third‑party vendors, publishers, or external platforms.
Instructor responsibilities:
- Submit any new technology for a Technology Review before using it in a course, to support review of accessibility considerations
- Review third‑party content for obvious accessibility barriers (for example, lack of captions, missing alt-text, reliance on images or PDFs)
- Avoid assigning required content that is known to be inaccessible when alternatives exist
Consideration:
Instructors should not keep using content in their course they know is inaccessible, particularly when alternatives exist. If no alternatives exist, instructors should seek support for developing alternatives.
When to Seek Additional Support
If content cannot be made accessible and no clear alternative is available, instructors should seek assistance.
Situations that require support :
- A student requires an accommodation related to inaccessible content
- Specialized or technical content cannot be converted to an accessible format
- Vendor or publisher materials present accessibility barriers
- Large volumes of legacy content require remediation (for example, scanned pages from books, PDFs)
- Instructor feels overwhelmed and does not know where to start making content accessible
- Instructor needs support redesigning some or all of a course
Recommended next steps:
Coordinate with Student Accessibility Services when a student has or is seeking accommodation in your course.
Get Help From OIT
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