Accessibility

Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning & Leadership

Accessibility

Check out CETLL’s newÌýguide,ÌýMake Your Course Content Accessible. ThisÌýguide has specific instructions to support you to makeÌýdifferent aspectsÌýof your content accessible.

InÌýApril 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice issuedÌýnewÌýADA Title II regulations requiringÌýpublic universities to ensure that actively used digital contentÌýisÌýaccessible.ÌýThese regulations apply directly to course materialsÌýsuch as websites, documents, videos,Ìýmedia,Ìýand other web-based instructional resourcesÌýhoused in Brightspace and otherwise used in teaching.ÌýÌýThese requirements take effect for New York State on April 27, 2026.Ìý

AtÌýCETLLÌý(Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Leadership), we recognize that accessibility is not simply a compliance requirement—it isÌýpart ofÌýa commitment to inclusive pedagogy. Ensuring that course content is accessible enhances student success, improves the usability of online materials, and supports learners with a wide variety of needs,Ìýregardless of disability or assistive technology use.ÌýÌý

Where to begin?Ìý

According to Hunter College’s accessibility guidance, the most common barriers that prevent equal access include:

  • Missing or incorrect alternative text for images and figuresÌý
  • Videos lacking captions or containing inaccurate auto‑captions
  • Insufficient color contrast between text and background
  • Scanned documents that have not been OCR‑converted to readable text
  • Untagged or auto‑tagged PDFs that screen readers cannot interpret properlyÌýÌý

We recommend youÌýconduct aÌýreviewÌýof your syllabi, announcements, presentation slides, and required readings, videos, and other materials in your courseÌýtoÌýidentifyÌýwhat revisions are needed.Ìý

QC instructors can use the Ally Accessibility ToolÌýto help assess and remediate accessibility issues in Brightspace. This tool provides:Ìý

  • Accessibility gauges (green/yellow/red indicators) on individual course files
  • A Course Accessibility Report that gives an overall accessibility score
  • Specific, step‑by‑step guidance for fixing identified issues
  • Automatic alternative formats for students (e.g., audio, ePub, tagged PDFs)ÌýÌý

Make use of our newÌýguide,ÌýMake Your Course Content Accessible. ThisÌýguide has specific instructions to support you to makeÌýdifferent aspectsÌýof your content accessible.Ìý