Accessibility Resources

What is new under Title II of the ADA?

Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act now requires applicable entities to meet a minimum accessibility technical standard, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA. This technical standard applies to all TCNJ courses, including, but not limited to, syllabi, readings, handouts, class materials (e.g., documents, PowerPoint, PDFs, spreadsheets, videos, audio, images), and content and activities in Canvas (e.g., Pages, Assignments, Discussions).

Where do I start to make my course accessible?

This roadmap provides a comprehensive overview of steps individual instructors can take towards Title II compliance at the course level. Instructors do not need to follow this exact order, nor is this list fully exhaustive. Instead, it offers a roadmap for remediating course content, beginning with the components of digital course content most under an instructor’s control.

While content remediation is part of meeting Title II compliance requirements and WCAG 2.1 AA technical standards, the long-term goal is to design accessible content from the outset, thereby limiting the time and effort required to remediate course content.

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I. Syllabus

Course syllabi are among the first interactions students have with a course. Accessible course syllabi are written and formatted to accommodate both visual and assistive technology users and include an explicit statement about student support and disability resources. The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and Academic Affairs maintain a syllabus template with all the required information as listed in the TCNJ Syllabus Policy and that contains accessible formatting. Syllabi built with accessible formatting include nested headings, descriptive link text, formatted tables, and other formatting choices that make it usable for screen reader users and other assistive technologies.

Syllabus resources

1. Use the syllabus templates, created with accessible formatting.
   1. Google Docs: Check your syllabus using the Google Docs Accessibility Guide.
   2. Word Document: Check your syllabus using the Microsoft Word Accessibility Guide (.docx).
2. Include syllabus language about access barriers and the Accessibility Resource Center.
   1. Sample language: Students who anticipate and/or experience barriers in this course are encouraged to contact the instructor as early in the semester as possible. The Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) is available to facilitate the removal of barriers and to ensure reasonable accommodations.

Whenever possible, avoid using PDFs and instead provide students with a Word or Google Docs version. If you do choose to share a PDF, follow the Converting Your Syllabus to an Accessible PDF Document (.docx).

II. Canvas

Before you work on remediating and updating your Canvas materials, it is essential to clean up your Canvas course—files, folders, pages, discussions, assignments, and quizzes—so you can focus your efforts on the most relevant, actively used materials. TidyUP is a Canvas tool that allows faculty to quickly identify and bulk-delete unused files and duplicate content to reduce course clutter and simplify digital accessibility efforts. Visit cetl.tcnj.edu/tidyup for more information.

TidyUp resources

TidyUp is a Canvas tool that allows faculty to quickly identify and bulk-delete unused files and duplicate content, reducing course clutter and simplifying digital accessibility efforts. TidyUp, when used in conjunction with a course-level accessibility checker, supports our college’s Title II compliance efforts by allowing instructors to focus their accessibility efforts on the course content—files, folders, pages, assignments, discussions, and quizzes—that are most relevant to the course.

1. TidyUp Reference Guide

UDOIT resources

UDOIT, which stands for the Universal Design Online Inspection Tool, is a course-level accessibility checker. UDOIT scans Canvas content, identifies potential accessibility barriers, and guides users in remediating accessibility issues and applying inclusive design principles.

1. Run the UDOIT accessibility checker in an individual course shell.
2. Remediate errors and suggestions for content created in Canvas.

III. Course materials

Title II defines web content to include Conventional Electronic Documents, such as Word, presentation, and spreadsheet file formats. In higher education, course materials include PDFs, documents, PowerPoint presentations (or Google Slides), spreadsheets, videos, audio, and images.

Grackle Workspace resources

Grackle Workspace is a third-party add-on for Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets that supports accessible document structure. Grackle scans existing documents to identify potential accessibility barriers and provides tools and guidance to correct them. Edits are immediate and save automatically. CETL recommends using Grackle for any course materials created in the Google Workspace.

Grackle Workspace is now available to all TCNJ faculty and staff to support our accessibility efforts under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

1. Grackle Workspace Reference Guide: Making Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets Accessible

Course material resources

Note: Please see CETL’s page, “How do I know if my PDF is accessible?,” for more information specific to PDF file formats.

1. Share library materials via permalinks instead of uploading PDFs to Canvas.
2. Create digital documents using accessible formatting and structure:
   1. Word: Follow the instructions in the Microsoft Word Accessibility Guide (.docx).
   2. PowerPoint: Follow the instructions in the Microsoft PowerPoint Accessibility Guide (.docx).
   3. Google Docs: Follow the instructions in the Google Docs Accessibility Guide.
   4. Google Slides: Follow the instructions in the Google Slides Accessibility Guide.
3. Caption all video and audio content using Kaltura, TCNJ’s video streaming service that integrates with Canvas to create, store, organize, and share media with your classes.

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A note on third-party content

Third-party content includes services and tools that support teaching and learning, developed by companies or service providers outside TCNJ. Many outside vendors have a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) to assess their products’ accessibility against accessibility standards. CETL maintains a list of LTIs currently available in Canvas. CETL recommends asking vendors questions before deploying a third-party tool. If a vendor does not have a VPAT, pause your adoption plan and contact CETL to determine if there are alternative tools available that would meet your needs.