Accessibility Resources
This page contains information and resources on accessibility in distance education, and applicable laws, policies and procedures. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to review these contents to better familiarize themselves with accessibility practices and regulations.
Laws, Policies and Guidelines
ADA Section 508 states that federal agencies must ensure their information and services are accessible to persons with disabilities. The revised 508 Standards include not just IT tools and systems, but electronic content such as documents, web pages, presentations, social media content, blogs and certain emails.
ADA Section 504 states that “no qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall be excluded from, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under” any program or activity that receives Federal financial aid.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level AA explains how to make web content (such as text, images, sounds, code or markup that defines structure, presentation) accessible to people with disabilities.
Texas Administrative Code (Rule 206.70 effective April 18, 2020) states that websites and web applications of Institutions of higher education must adhere to Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Level AA.
UT System Policy on accessibility
UTD’s Statement on Web Accessibility
Tutorials and Guides
Lecture Delivery and recording using MS Teams and Stream (Webinar by ETS)
Best Practices in Online Teaching (Webinar by CTL)
UT System Introduction to Accessibility Module
How to check for accessibility in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel
Available Tools and Resources
Report an Accessibility Barrier Form
The AccessAbility Resource Center provides support to students needing learning accommodations, and faculty seeking information on better providing those accommodations to their students.
Accessibility in Higher Education – inclusive pedagogy resources by CTL
MS Teams and Stream – Teams allows faculty to conduct virtual classes with real time close captioning. Stream adds captions to videos for asynchronous viewing.
Office 365 Accessibility Resources – Microsoft has a dedicated accessibility website that serves as a portal for finding their help resources for accessibility.
UTD Syllabus Template (updated in 2019 for screen reader compatibility.)
Accessible Syllabus Template – What’s changed
This template was created in 2019 to better meet accessibility needs and requirements for UTD Comets. While the changes might not be at once visible to some, they were important to ensure that the content is accessible to all.
Below is a list of changes we made to the document:
- Heading styles: We added heading styles to each section so that they appear in the navigation pane. This is important for students who rely on the navigation pane in Word to navigate through the document as well as to differentiate between sections. You can learn more about heading styles by visiting the official Microsoft support page on heading styles.
- Table reading order: We set a table reading order and ensured that the table heading appears at the top of the table if it spills onto the next page. Without the table heading, someone listening to the document might not be at once able to recognize the information being read to them and how it relates in the table. Microsoft’s support websitefeatures a video explaining accessible tables in Word.
- Clear, informative hyperlinks:Instead of adding a link to the words “Click here,” we now list the name of the webpage in question. This way, students who use screen readers have a better idea of where the link wants to take them and can decide if they need to visit. WebAIM’s Links and Hyperlinks webpage goes over this in more detail.
- Other things that were not necessarily in the template that should be kept in mind:
- Ensure color has the correct contrast. Color should not be the only means of conveying information, and any color use should also be visible by those reading it. For example, students who are color blind might not know that you colored certain text to make it important. You can use this color checker from WebAIMto ensure the colors in your document have the correct contrast.
- Don’t use color as the only means to convey importance. Students who are color blind might not be able to identify the different colors you use in text and could miss the importance you were trying to convey. Microsoft has a section on accessible colors for Word documents.
- Ensure font sizes are readable.For general body text, keep your font size anywhere between 12-14 points. Setting font size too small could make it difficult for students with visual impairments to read.
- Use proper bullet points when creating a list. This will help students using screen readers to better understand the list and its items.
FAQs
Do I have to make my content accessible?
Yes. ADA Compliance is the law. More information on accessibility requirements can be found on the UTD Academic Continuity webpage.
How do I know if something is or is not accessible?
Most Microsoft products have a built-in accessibility checker that will list issues and explain why they might be problematic. Various websites supply information on specific accessibility-related topics such as text color or video captioning. Please refer to the Additional Resources section below.
Who do I contact for accessibility questions?
Questions related to accommodations should be directed to the AccessAbility Resource Center. Questions related to Microsoft Teams / Stream should be directed to the Office of Information Technology.
What should I do if a student tells me they have a disability?
Contact the AccessAbility Resource Center. They will be able to provide you with help and information.
Will my effort be worthwhile even if no one in my course has a disability? Yes. ADA Compliance is the law. By making your course materials accessible, you are taking a step in the right direction. The goal of accessibility is for all students to have equal access and opportunity for success in a course.