What Course Content Must Be Accessible?

A Quick Reminder: What Does "Accessible" Mean?

As defined by the Office of Civil Rights, accessible means that a person with a disability is afforded the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability, in an equally effective and equally integrated manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use.

Accessibility is not about whether someone can open a file. It is about whether every person can fully access, navigate, and understand the content inside it, regardless of how they access it. Under the 2024 update to Title II of the ADA, all Palomar College web content and digital materials must meet accessibility standards by April 26, 2027.

You Are the Designer of the Learning Experience

Every piece of content that ends up in your course passed through your hands. You chose it, created it, or decided to include it. That means you are the designer of the learning experience, and accessible design is part of that role.

This is not about blame or perfection. It is about awareness and intention. When you understand what needs to be accessible and why, you can make better choices from the start, whether you are creating a Word document, building a Canvas page, choosing a YouTube video, or linking to an external website.

Every student, regardless of ability, deserves equal access to every part of your course. That includes required content, optional content, extra credit, supplemental resources, and anything else you share. If a student with a disability cannot access an optional resource, they cannot benefit from it. Accessible design ensures that no one is left out, ever.

Part 1: Content You Create

When you create content, you have full control over its accessibility. This is where your accessible design habits have the greatest impact. The skills you will build in Module 3 of this course apply directly to everything in this category.

Canvas Pages, Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes

Any content you build directly in Canvas using the Rich Content Editor is your responsibility to make accessible. This includes how you structure headings, format lists, write link text, use color, add alt text to images, and build tables. Canvas is the most accessible environment for your content when used correctly, and it is where your accessible design habits will have the most immediate impact on students.

Microsoft Word Documents

Word documents shared with students must be accessible. This means using proper heading styles, formatted lists, descriptive links, alt text on images, accessible tables, and sufficient color contrast. Microsoft Word has a built-in accessibility checker. Use it before you share any document. The goal is always to build it accessibly from the start rather than fix it later.

PowerPoint Presentations

PowerPoint files shared with students must be accessible. Every slide needs a unique title, images need alt text, reading order must be correct, and font sizes must be large enough to read. Microsoft PowerPoint also has a built-in accessibility checker. Run it before sharing any presentation.

PDF Files

PDFs are among the most challenging file formats to make accessible. A PDF is only as accessible as the document it was created from. If the original Word or PowerPoint file was not accessible, the PDF will not be either. Always start with an accessible source document, then check the PDF for accessibility before sharing it. When possible, consider whether a Canvas page would serve the same purpose more accessibly.

Videos You Record or Create

Any video you create for your course must have accurate captions. Auto-generated captions are a starting point, but they must be reviewed and corrected for accuracy, punctuation, and proper word matching before sharing with students. Writing a script before recording is one of the most effective ways to ensure accurate captions from the start.

Audio Files

Audio files used in instruction must be accompanied by a complete and accurate transcript so that students who cannot hear the audio can still access the content.

Emails and Announcements

The emails and announcements you send to students are also course content. Use clear structure, descriptive links, and plain language. Avoid attaching inaccessible files. This applies to face-to-face, hybrid, and online courses alike.

Handouts and In-Class Materials

If you teach face-to-face or hybrid and distribute printed or digital handouts, those materials must also be accessible. A student who uses a screen reader or needs a digital format cannot benefit from an inaccessible handout any more than they can benefit from an inaccessible online file.

Tip: Microsoft Has Accessibility Checkers Built In

Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook all include built-in accessibility checkers. Before you share any file, run the checker and address the issues it identifies. In Word or PowerPoint, go to Review > Check Accessibility. This is one of the easiest habits you can build into your workflow.

You will learn more about accessibility checkers in Module 3, including how to use Pope Tech for your Canvas content.

Part 2: Content You Find and Use from Others

When you bring content into your course from outside sources, you are making a design choice. You are choosing to include that content as part of the learning experience you are designing. That means you are also responsible for evaluating whether it is accessible before you share it with students.

You cannot always control the accessibility of content created by others. But you can control whether you choose to use it, how you present it, and whether you provide accessible alternatives when something falls short.

YouTube Videos and External Videos

Before linking to or embedding a video in your course, check that it has accurate captions. Auto-generated captions on YouTube are often inaccurate and do not meet accessibility standards on their own. Look for videos with verified closed captions, or use YouTube's filter to search for captioned content. If you find a video you want to use but the captions are poor, you can add it to Canvas Studio and edit the captions there, or contact the video owner to request accurate captions.

External Websites

When you link to an external website as a required or recommended resource, you are asking students to interact with that content as part of their learning. It is your responsibility to evaluate whether that website is accessible before sharing it. You can use the free WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool to check any website for accessibility issues. In the next page of this module, you will have the opportunity to practice using WAVE to evaluate a website of your choice.

Publisher and Third-Party Content

Publisher platforms, LTI tools, and third-party applications that Palomar College has adopted, such as Canvas itself, represent a shared responsibility between the institution and the vendor. The college works with vendors to ensure that institutionally adopted tools meet accessibility standards. However, when you choose to include publisher content, supplemental platforms, or third-party resources in your course, you are making a design decision. You should ask whether those resources are accessible, look for accessibility statements or VPAT documents from the vendor, and advocate for accessible options when they are not available.

Images, Graphics, and Media from the Web

When you use images or graphics found online, you are responsible for providing appropriate alt text that describes the content and purpose of the image in the context of your course. The image's original source does not provide that context. You do.

Textbooks and Course Materials

Choosing accessible course materials is an important part of accessible course design. When evaluating textbooks and course materials, look for options that are available in accessible digital formats. Students who need alternate formats such as Braille, large print, or audio can work with the Palomar College Disability Resource Center, but the conversion process takes time and delays access.

One of the best ways to support accessible course materials is to adopt free, openly licensed textbooks and resources that are available online in accessible formats. Palomar College supports this through the CALM program: Comets Affordable Learning Materials. CALM helps faculty find, adopt, and create free and low-cost course materials that benefit all students.

Open Educational Resources (OER) available through platforms like Pressbooks are often easier to share, update, and verify for accessibility than traditional commercial textbooks. When you choose an OER textbook, look for one that is available as an accessible web-based version, not just a downloadable PDF.

Accessible Design Applies to Everything

It can be tempting to think of accessibility as something that applies only to your main course content or only to online courses. Neither is true.

Required content must be accessible. This is non-negotiable.
Optional content must also be accessible. A student with a disability cannot benefit from optional review materials, extra credit, or supplemental resources unless they can access them. Designing accessibly from the start ensures that no one is excluded from any part of the learning experience you are offering.
This applies to all modalities. Whether your course is online, hybrid, or face-to-face, the content you create and share must be accessible. Accessibility is not an online teaching concern. It is a professional responsibility for every educator.

The next page in this module gives you a hands-on opportunity to evaluate the accessibility of an external website using the WAVE tool. This is one of the most practical skills you can develop as you take responsibility for the content you bring into your courses.

Questions and Support

If you have questions about accessible course materials, OER adoption, or how to evaluate the accessibility of content you want to use, reach out to the Distance Education Coordinator or the Instructional Designer. You can also contact the CALM Chair for support with finding accessible, affordable course materials.