Digital Accessibility

Accessibility in education ensures that all learners, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, can access and engage with instructional materials, technology, and resources equitably.  Accessibility promotes inclusivity, supports diverse learning needs, and complies with legal requirements like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.  Beginning on April 24, 2026, Title II of the ADA will require all digital course materials and related content to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards.  In addition to the federal regulations, U-M has a specific Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standard Practice Guide (SPG 601.20) that was adopted in June 2022.

Following best practices of around accessibility is a good teaching practice overall.  Even users who do not have any disabilities can benefit from accessible content (like closed captions).

The WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards are comprehensive and robust.  The following is a simplified, though not comprehensive, list of general accessibility guidelines.  Training and support for the required changes will be available in early 2025.

Accessibility Guidelines:

• All links should be descriptive (not "click here").
• All videos should have closed captions, which should be as accurate as possible.
• All images should have alt-text, which described the image/graph/equation in plain English for those with vision issues.
• Heading levels should be respected (H3 falls under H2, no skipping levels)
• Color contrast should be as high as possible (dark text on a light background, or light text on a dark background).

The above guidelines apply to content created in Canvas as well as documents (Word, Google Slides, PDF, etc), slideshows (PowerPoint, Google Slides, etc), Spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets, etc), and any other digital materials available as part of a course or on a public website.  

In early 2025, the Office of Digital Education and the Hub for Teaching and Learning Resources will launch a range of support resources, including a Canvas self-paced course on accessibility, digital badges, workshops/training, consultations, and ongoing support to help faculty integrate accessibility best practices into their teaching.  Please watch this page for updates!

Training opportunities will launch in early 2025.  Please watch this page for updates!