Intro
Indicators
Canvas Tools
Examples
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Resources

Introduction

The purpose of this standard is to encourage you to reflect on your commitment to accessible course design, the accessibility and usability of the digital and web-based instructional tools you use, and how you connect students to available access support resources. In addition to being good practice, accessible design is also a legal requirement. In 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice updated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to require that public institutions—including institutions of higher education—ensure all public-facing web content and mobile applications meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. Want to learn more about this landmark ruling? Check out the ADA Fact Sheet. You’ll also find links below to key federal and state laws that affect higher education. If you're looking for a deeper dive, head over to the Relevant Laws and Policies page in SBCTC's Library of Accessibility Resources for a detailed explanation of each.

Federal

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 & 2018 Refresh
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
Amendments Act (ADA) of 2008

State

Washington State RCW 28B.10.910-916 - Core Services
SBCTC Policy 3.20.30B - Accessible Technology
Washington State OCIO Policy 188 - Accessibility

While you can't predict every accommodation a student may need, you can make thoughtful design choices that improve usability and access in your course. Disabilities can include physical, sensory, cognitive, or needs related to mental health and wellness. Some disabilities are more visible than others, and just because you haven’t received official accommodation paperwork doesn’t mean students aren’t navigating barriers in your course. Many students go without accommodations due to the stigma of asking for help, lack of documentation, or not knowing that support is available. Sharing your commitment to accessible course design, selecting accessible technologies, and providing information about access support resources helps build an inclusive environment that welcomes learners of all abilities and promotes student success.

Creating accessible learning environments is a shared responsibility, and there are people and resources at your college who can support you. Colleagues can share their accessibility practices, instructional designers can assist with accessibility training and course design, your Access Services office can provide guidance and accommodations support, the Accessible IT Coordinator for your campus can help you evaluate tools and troubleshoot accessibility issues, and your students can help you identify areas where they may be experiencing barriers.

Why it Matters to Students ...

Cori has a broken arm from a sports injury several weeks ago and is in a cast. Having to wear a cast and try to use their non-dominant hand has made typing, controlling the computer, and using a mouse extremely difficult. Cori isn’t sure what to do or how to ask for help. Cori thinks it' great that the instructor included information in the syllabus about downloading more accessible formats of some of the course files, but also really needed the instructor to include information about the college’s Access Services office and maybe some links or information about how to contact them when students need help. (4.6.d, 4.6.c) There also isn't a statement in the syllabus explaining the instructor's approach to designing for accessibility, so Cori feels unsure about asking for help. (4.6.a)

Due to having a broken arm, Cori has had to start using a speech-to-text program to author content and control their computer without having to use a mouse. Cori has discovered that certain features of the course’s required interactive online textbook, like selecting answers to a quiz question from a drop-down menu, were not operable by voice or keyboard commands. (4.6.b) Anything requiring excessive use of a mouse to complete a task causes fatigue and pain. Cori thinks that the instructor should find a more accessible interactive textbook for next term, or provide an equivalent resource that is easier for students to use. (4.6.b)

Challenge your Thinking ...

Before you embark on designing or redesigning your course, take some time to identify and reflect on your privileges social identities, implicit biases, and any assumptions you may be making about students, their lives, how they learn, and how you teach. As you begin to identify what you’re unintentionally bringing to the design of your course, use Section 4 of your Re-imaging My Course Reflection Journal to reflect on how these things may be affecting students, especially students of color and students identifying with other historically underrepresented groups. Exploring your own identity and becoming aware of your implicit biases and the assumptions you may be making is a crucial first step in re-imaging educational structures, systems, policies, and attitudes that may be creating barriers and inequities for your students.

The reflection journal includes the questions below and provides space for you to think critically about your teaching and course design practices. Please make a copy of the journal to explore your thoughts and feelings and use your discoveries to make meaningful enhancements to your course.

Before you get started, think about the following:

Who are you - what makes you, you? Describe your intersecting identities.
What power and privileges and/or lack of power and privileges come with how you identify?
How do your identities, power, and privilege impact your teaching and course design practices?
Who is your course currently designed to serve - your institution, your department, you, or your students?

Reflect on how you described your identities, power, and privileges and answer the following:

How might your social identities, power, and privileges impact the digital accessibility of your course?

Make a list for each of the following:

Biases you may have based on the identities and abilities of students in your course.
Biases you may have based on the identities and abilities of students in your course.
Assumptions you may be making about the identities, abilities, and access needs of your students.
Assumptions you may be making about which students need accessibility support.
Assumptions you may be making about students' willingness to request accommodations or share access needs.
Assumptions you may be making about students’ awareness of or ability to access support resources.
Assumptions you may be making about the accessibility and usability of the digital and web-based instructional tools you use.
Assumptions you may be making about the effectiveness of your current accessibility practices.
Assumptions you may be making about how clearly your course design communicates care and support for students with diverse access needs.
Assumptions you may be making about how students feel about the accessibility of your course.
Assumptions you may be making about how a lack of accessibility impacts students' participation, confidence, or success.

Reflect on your lists and answer the following:

How equitable is the learning experience for students with different abilities and access needs in your course?
What barriers might students encounter in your course, and how can you proactively address them in your design?
How might your course design unintentionally exclude or disadvantage some students?
What strategies can you use to improve access and reduce barriers for students with varying learning needs?
What challenges you the most when thinking about how to create accessible and inclusive course content?
How do you ensure that the tools and technologies in your course are accessible and usable by the widest possible audience?
What practices can you adopt to continually improve the usability of your materials and platforms?
How do you communicate to students that accessibility matters to you and that you’re open to feedback?
How might students be interpreting your approach to accessibility and support?
How do you help students personalize their learning environment in ways that work for them?
How are you connecting students to access support services?

Indicators Explained

The Indicators for Standard 4.6 are organized by Essentials and Next Steps. Click the menu bars below to expand and read about the Indicators in each section.

Essentials

Meeting all Essential Indicators demonstrates that your course design includes the basic foundational elements that must be present for students to succeed in an online course.

4.6.a - Course includes a personalized statement by the instructor describing their value of and commitment to creating an accessible learning space.

You can explicitly demonstrate your commitment to creating an accessible learning space by including a statement about the value of providing accessible content in your course. This information is typically included in the syllabus but could also be highlighted in your “Start” module. Your institution or department might even require that the institution's disability statement to be linked to or included in your syllabus or elsewhere in your course. An institution’s accessibility statement typically informs students about available access support resources and student rights relating to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). However, these statements are often unwelcoming and read as complicated “legal-ese” to most students. Adding a personalized statement to your course affirming the value of individual access, meeting students’ learning needs, and inviting your students to help you meet their needs is one additional step you can take toward setting a positive and inclusive tone for your classroom and demonstrating to students that you welcome, value, and respect diversity of thought, experience, background, and ability. You can further demonstrate your commitment to inclusion by modeling accessible and inclusive practices in your classroom.

4.6.b - Course uses accessible digital and web-based instructional tools and includes equivalent alternatives as needed.

Proactively and mindfully selecting required and optional course materials and digital and web-based instructional tools that are accessible benefits all of your students, not just students with disabilities. Web accessibility is the practice of designing and developing websites, applications, tools, and technologies so that people with disabilities can effectively use them. To be considered accessible, digital and web-based instructional tools must follow the Four Principles of Accessibility: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR).

Perceivable means students must be able to see, hear, or otherwise sense the content—it shouldn’t be hidden from all their senses.
Operable means students must be able to interact with the tool using various input methods (e.g., mouse, keyboard, voice). Users must be able to use the digital or web-based instructional tool, no matter how they interact with it—whether by mouse, keyboard, voice, or other methods.
Understandable means students should be able to understand both the information and how to use the tool—it shouldn't be confusing or overly complex.
Robust means the content needs to work well with current and future technologies, including assistive tools like screen readers.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), are internationally recognized technical standards that outline measurable and testable success criteria for ensuring web accessibility. Web accessibility is the practice of designing and developing websites, applications, tools, and technologies so that people with disabilities can effectively use them. Web content and document authors, course designers, and developers should use the WCAG success criteria to ensure their work is accessible. There are three levels of WCAG compliance, each building on the previous level, meaning that to achieve Level AA compliance, Web content and applications must first meet all Level A criteria. The example below details WCAG 2.1 compliance levels.

In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) updated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to adopt the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA as the official standard for digital accessibility. This is the first time the ADA has included a specific technical standard for websites and mobile apps. The new rule requires that all public-facing digital content and tools provided by state and local governments, including those used by public colleges, must be accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities. Some examples of what's covered in the ruling include:

Public-facing college web pages, documents, images, and web forms
Social media posts made on behalf of the college
Electronic files such as Word, PowerPoint, PDFs, and Excel
Course content created by instructors and other course designers in Canvas using the Rich Content Editor, uploaded materials, and instructional tools added to Canvas via LTI integrations
Third-party web and mobile apps used by the college. The table below gives examples of some of the third-party tools used at Washington's community and technical colleges.

*Examples of Third-party Applications*
Third-party Applications	Examples
Student Management Systems	ctcLink (Oracle), PeopleSoft, Highpoint HCX (Campus Solutions pillar only)
Multi-factor Authentication Tools	Okta
Learning Management Systems	Canvas
Digital Badging Platforms	Canvas Credentials
Library Databases	ProQuest, LibSearch
Library Management Systems	Alma, Ex Libris
Web-conferencing Platforms	Zoom, Microsoft Teams, GoogleMeet
Lecture-capture and Recording Tools	Panopto, Canvas Studio, Camtasia
All tools selected by staff or faculty that connect to Canvas via Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI)	Publisher Platforms & Courseware, Lab Simulations & Science Tools, Authoring & Multimedia Tools, Video Hosting & Lecture Tools, Generative AI & Writing Support, Assessment & Quizzing Tools, Student Engagement & Polling, Collaboration & Productivity Tools, Digital Flashcards & Study Aids, Learning Games & Gamification

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), are the global standard for web accessibility. These guidelines include testable success criteria that help make websites, apps, and digital tools usable for people with a wide range of disabilities. The recognized standard for public institutions is WCAG 2.1 Level AA, which balances technical feasibility with meaningful access. While not every WCAG criterion applies to instructors and course designers, many of the guidelines can help you evaluate whether the digital and web-based tools you’re considering are accessible. For example, you might look for whether a tool can be operated using only a keyboard, whether it works with screen readers, or whether its navigation is consistent and understandable. You don’t need to know how to test for compliance yourself, but being familiar with what WCAG covers can help you ask the right questions and make more informed choices when selecting instructional technologies. Using the How to Meet WCAG (Quick Reference) Guide by W3C is an easy way to filter the guidelines based on your role or task.

One way you can ensure the digital and web-based instructional tools used in your course are accessible is by selecting products that have passed a verified accessibility review. A great place to start when choosing learning tools for your course is to check in with the Accessible IT Coordinator for your campus and ask if your college maintains a list of accessibility vetted third-party platforms, software, tools, or content. If they do, compare the tools you’re using with the list and make adjustments as needed. You may also be able to work with your campus Accessible IT Coordinator to investigate the digital and web-based instructional tools you're planning to use. If your campus doesn’t have a list of approved tools, you may be able to find useful information online. A good first step is to look for a Vendor Product Accessibility Template (VPAT), which outlines the accessibility standards a product does or doesn’t meet. VPATs are required for vendors doing business with the federal government, but keep in mind that they are self-reported and not independently verified, so it’s good to have some healthy skepticism and not believe everything you read. Vendors may also share accessibility ratings, third-party audits, or testing results on their websites. If you can’t find a VPAT or other verification of accessibility testing, you can try researching the answers to the questions below. It’s not an official way to test a product for accessibility, but it can at least get you pointed in the right direction.

*Questions to Ask when Selecting Instructional Tools*
Questions to Ask	Desired Answers	Explanations
Does using this tool enhance student learning outcomes?	Yes	Digital and web-based instructional tools should serve a clear instructional purpose and contribute meaningfully to students’ understanding, skill development, or ability to meet course outcomes.
Does this tool align with the course’s learning objectives?	Yes	Aligning digital and web-based instructional tools to the course’s learning objectives helps keep instruction focused and purposeful.
Is there an alternative tool that is more accessible?	No	Choosing a less accessible tool when a better option exists can create barriers and limit access.
Can you navigate/use the vendor’s product without a mouse?	Yes	Students with motor impairments may not be able to use a mouse. To be accessible, a product must be able to be navigated using just a keyboard.
Does the company have a VPAT? What does it say?	Yes	A VPAT can provide good information but having one is voluntary so be sure to keep asking questions.
Will the vendor provide a demonstration of accessibility compliance?	Yes	A vendor should be able to demonstrate how their product can be used by those with disabilities and explicitly answer questions about the accessibility of their product.
Does the vendor comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA or higher?	Yes	WaTech Policy 188 and the Section 508 Refresh have set WCAG 2.1 AA as the standard to meet.
Does the company test and verify its level of accessibility for users with disabilities?	Yes	Vendor’s whose products pass a verified accessibility test will often brag about it on their website.
Does the vendor comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA or higher?	Yes	WaTech Policy 188 and the Section 508 Refresh have set WCAG 2.1 AA as the standard to meet.
Does the vendor provide customer support and technical support to clients/users/students when an accessibility barrier is encountered?	Yes	Users experiencing accessibility issues may need support. It’s good to know the vendor has a process in place for providing quality support in a timely manner.
Does the vendor have an Accessibility Roadmap to address known issues/improve accessibility?	Yes	This is a good sign and typically means the vendor is thinking about accessibility and has committed to improving their product by identifying and fixing accessibility issues. Be sure their roadmap includes a reasonable timeline.
Do reviews or articles about the product or vendor raise any red flags that cause you concern?	No	Searching for a product by name in combination with the phrase “accessibility” should not yield scary results.

Ideally, all of your students should be able to open, navigate, and interact with the digital and web-based instructional tools you’ve selected. But in some cases, a fully accessible option may not be available. For example, there may be only one tool that provides the specific functionality or learning experience needed. If this happens, you’ll need to offer an accessible alternative that gives provides an equivalent learning experience. This means, students should be able to achieve the same learning outcomes and objectives. You might also consider offering students flexibility or choice in the tools or materials they use, so they can select the option that best fits their needs.

4.6.c - Course includes resources to connect students to access support services and guidance on accessing and using those resources.

Students who need help may be reluctant to seek it out and/or may not know where to go to find or access the assistance they need. You can do your part by providing clear pathways to access support services and guiding students in how to use them. Linking students directly to these services from your course navigation menu, your syllabus, or your “Start” module makes them easy for students to find. Providing contact information for the access services offered by your campus will not only ease your load in supporting students, but also gives students access to direct, and likely quicker support, when they need it most.

In addition to including contact information for available access support services, it’s also important to clearly explain each option so students have context for how and when to best use these services. It is also useful to share information with students about the basic steps for requesting help. These steps may vary depending on the type of help that is needed. For example, who should the student contact first if they can’t access the course materials or need an alternative format - in this case, it’s most likely you. But that answer changes if the problem is different, like when a student has a documented disability - in this case it may be the campus access support office that should be contacted first. Clearly defining the process of when, where, and how to ask for support will help students feel more confident finding and accessing the services they need.

4.6.d - Course includes a clear explanation describing how to obtain accessible formats of required course materials and/or access alternative resources.

Alternative formats offer students choice and flexibility and should be available for immediate access so students can choose the option(s) that best suits their needs. Providing content in alternative and accessible formats benefits everyone but most students won’t know it's available or how to find and use these resources without your guidance. Information about how to access available alternative formats could be included in your syllabus but could also be highlighted in your “Start” module while the resources themselves will most likely be located within your content wherever students will need to use them. For example, alongside the corresponding materials, media, or tools. When providing alternative content, it is important to remember that the alternative content must provide students with an equitable experience. This means, students should be able to achieve the same learning outcomes/objectives using them.

If your campus is using the Ally accessibility tool, alternative formats of your course materials may already be available and you might include a statement like this in your syllabus, followed by a quick demo video showing students how to download the alternative formats:

Ally is a tool that integrates into Canvas and works to support content creators to ensure that the materials they are creating and using are accessible. All materials in this course have been reviewed and evaluated for accessibility to help ensure that all students, including students with disabilities, have access to the instructional materials. When possible, course materials are available in a digital format in Canvas, and students may download accessible versions of files via Ally. In general, students using assistive technologies should be able to access all course materials but if you happen to encounter a barrier, please contact me as soon as possible so that we can work together to find a solution that works for you.

For materials converted to alternative formats using Ally or other tools, it is important to remember that the alternative resource will only be as good as the source material it’s been adapted from.

Next Steps

Applying all Essential Indicators for this Standard combined with one or more of the following Next Steps Indicators demonstrates that your course design includes the basic foundational elements necessary for students to succeed in an online course plus additional elements that are intentionally designed to increase student success in your online course.

4.6.e - Course includes links to accessibility policies for course technologies.

Unfortunately, vendors and publishers providing educational services, tools, technologies, and content are not required to make their products accessible. Yep, you read that right - they are not required to create accessible products so the responsibility lies with you to choose wisely and to ask questions before making decisions. Providers of online educational tools and technologies, such as learning management systems like Canvas or Blackboard, publisher’s learning platforms like McGraw Hill ALEKS or Pearson Education, study aids like Quizlet or Kahoot, proctoring tools like Honorock or Proctorio, web-conferencing platforms like Zoom or Big Blue Button, and recording tools like Panopto or Camtasia will most likely have an accessibility statement posted on their website. Some may also have an accessibility roadmap posted. If the company wishes to do business with the federal government, they also have to provide a Vendor Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) outlining which accessibility standards their product does and doesn’t meet. However, VPATs are voluntary and are not verified meaning that vendors can claim or omit whatever they wish, so while it’s good to read a vendor’s VPAT, maintain some skepticism and don't believe everything you read. The best way for you to verify that the tools and technologies in your course are accessible is to ask questions, request documentation, ask for a demo of the product’s accessibility features, and read through the results of a web-search for the product by name in combination with the phrase “accessibility”. Some campuses may even maintain a list of products that have been vetted for accessibility.

For transparency, you should provide students with accessibility information related to the educational tools and technologies used in your course. You might include a link to a vendor’s accessibility statement and/or VPAT in your syllabus, but it could also be highlighted in your “Start” module and/or elsewhere in your course materials as you introduce new tools. Students have a right to know about the accessibility of the course tools and technology they will be expected to use in your course, and as a teacher, you have the responsibility of doing your best to keep them informed and to select tools and technologies that are accessible. You can further demonstrate your commitment to accessibility by including a personal statement about the accessibility of your course and by discussing accessible course design practices with your students.

4.6.f - Course technologies meet guidelines for WCAG 2.1 AA or higher.

Former Next steps Indicator 4.6.f has been moved up to Essentials and combined with Indicator 4.6.b

4.6.g - Course includes documentation describing how course technologies meet guidelines for WCAG 2.1 AA or higher.

In April 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) updated ADA rules, adopting WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the standard for websites and apps. This marks the first time the ADA has included a specific digital accessibility standard. The adoption of this standard requires that all digital content provided by state and local governments, including course materials and technologies, comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.

Including documentation that explains how your course technologies meet WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines (or higher) is a great way to be transparent with your students. This information gives your students a clear understanding of how the technologies you’re using meet accessibility standards. While the documentation itself doesn’t make your course more accessible, it shows your students that you’ve thoughtfully considered the accessibility of the tools they’ll be using. Sharing this builds trust and demonstrates your commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable learning environment.

4.6.h - Course includes an invitation for students to offer feedback on the quality, accessibility, and usability of course technologies.

Each quarter you share valuable feedback with your students to help them learn and grow, but students aren’t the only ones who need encouraging words and practical advice for improving their skills. You also need feedback to learn and grow in your professional practice, and you can learn a lot from inviting students into the course design process and asking for their perspectives on various aspects of your course. Receiving student feedback can help you identify what's working well in your course and areas that might need some refining. Student feedback can also give you insight into the student experience in your course and can also be used to inform decisions on everything from textbook selection to the types of technology used in your course. Asking what your students think and taking action on their advice also helps you create a sense of partnership and community in your classroom by demonstrating to students that their opinion matters. Students who experience increased feelings of belonging and value are more likely to actively engage and be successful in your course.

Student feedback on the accessibility and usability of your course can help you identify areas of the course that may need enhancing. For example, if your students suggest revisions to the course structure, learning activities, or content, you can incorporate these suggestions to create a more student friendly learning experience. Depending on how and when you plan to use it, student feedback on the accessibility of your course can be collected in a variety of ways throughout the quarter or just at the end of your course. To get started, consider doing a mid-term check-in about the design of the course and make adjustments as needed if students identify areas of concern. You could also consider adding a question about the accessibility and usability of the course to your end-of-quarter survey or inviting students to participate in an informal discussion about accessible course design. How ever you decide to collect feedback from your students, it’s important to be transparent in how the feedback you collect will be used, so be sure to share why you are asking for student feedback and exactly how you plan to use it. Consider sharing an example of how you’ve used feedback from previous students to improve the learning experience for your current students and/or summarizing the feedback you receive from students and sharing it back with the class. Also, assure students that providing feedback is optional, anonymous, and will not impact their grades in any way.

Feedback is an important tool for your professional growth and can help you become the best educator and course designer you can be. The feedback you receive from your students can also help you improve your course and help you make intentional decisions that promote student success in your classroom.

Canvas Tools

These Canvas tools can help you meet this standard and make your work easier:

Syllabus: Use the Syllabus page to prominently display important course information. For example, by including a section about Accessibility and Access Resources.
Modules: Use the Modules page to display and organize accessibility help resources. For example, to create a "Start Here" module containing the information students need about course accessibility and available access support resources.
Pages: Use a Page added to a Module to display and organize technology help information. For example, a page about how, when, and why to use accessibility support services.
Rich Content Editor: Use the Rich Content Editor to embed images, links, and videos. For example, to link students to relevant accessibility support services..

Examples of Standard 4.6

Want to see how other instructors have applied this Standard in their course? Check out these examples!

Example 1

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Example 2

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Example 3

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Example 4

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Example 5

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Ways to Apply Standard 4.6

Need some ideas for how to apply this standard to your course? Try one of these!

4.6.a - Including a personalized accessibility statement

(4.6.a) Add your campus' institutional statement about accessibility to your syllabus, “Start” module, or elsewhere in your course.
(4.6.a) Add a personal statement about the value of accessible course materials to your syllabus, “Start” module, or elsewhere in your course.
(4.6.a) Collaborate with your colleagues to draft a departmental statement about the value of accessible course materials to add to your syllabus, “Start” module, or elsewhere in your course.

4.6.b - Required course technologies are usable by as wide an audience as possible with appropriate alternatives provided.

(4.6.b) Ask your campus Accessible IT Coordinator if the college maintain a list of accessibility vetted third party platforms, software, tools, or content. If they do, compare the tools you’re using in your course to their list and make adjustments as needed.
(4.6.b) Work with your campus Accessible IT Coordinator to investigate and vet the third party platforms, software, tools, or content used in your course.
(4.6.b) Review the required and alternative digital and web-based instructional tools included in your course. Replace any that are inaccessible and/or that do not provide students with an equitable learning experience.
(4.6.b) Review the required and alternative course materials included in your course. Replace any that are inaccessible and/or that do not provide students with an equitable learning experience.
(4.6.b) Review the optional and alternative digital and web-based instructional tools included in your course. Provide alternative resources for any optional items that are not accessible or that do not provide an equitable learning experience for the students who may want/need to use them.
(4.6.b) Review the optional and alternative course materials in your course. Provide alternative resources for any optional items that are not accessible or that do not provide an equitable learning experience for the students who may want/need to use them.
(4.6.b) Contact the vendor for all third party platforms, software, tools, or content used in your course and ask for a demo showing how their product can be used by those with disabilities. Be sure to use this opportunity to ask about support for users experiencing accessibility issues.
(4.6.b) Check the vendor’s website to see if their product has passed a verified accessibility test.
(4.6.b) Do an internet search of all third party platforms, software, tools, or content used in your course combined with the words accessibility. Evaluate the information you find and adjust the tools in your course as needed.
(4.6.b) Practice vetting several third party platforms, software, tools, or content for accessibility using the questions included in Indicator
(4.6.b) Try vetting a tool used in your course.

4.6.c - Including resources connecting students to accessibility support services

(4.6.c) Review the access support resources available in your course. Add links directly to these services from your course navigation menu, your syllabus, or your “Start” module as needed.
(4.6.c) Add a brief explanation describing each access support link included in your Syllabus or "Start" module and how or when students should use it.

4.6.d - Explanation describing how to obtain accessible formats

(4.6.d) Add an explanation to your Syllabus, “Start” module, or elsewhere in your course describing how students can locate and access accessible formats of required course content and/or alternative resources.

4.6.e - Course includes links to accessibility policies for course technologies and tools.

(4.6.e) Add links to the accessibility policies for all of the external tools and publisher content used in your course to your Syllabus or the Start Module in your course.
(4.6.e) Include a section in your Syllabus or a page in the Start Module in your course with information about the importance of accessibility and links to the accessibility policies for all of the external tools and publisher content used in your course.
(4.6.e) Include a brief explanation and link to the accessibility policy for external tools or publisher content when introducing it to students.

4.6.F - Documentation describing how course technologies meet guidelines for WCAG 2.1 AA or higher.

(4.6.g) XXX

4.6.G - inviting students to offer feedback on the quality, accessibility, and usability of course technologies

(4.6.h) XXX

Resources

Recommended Reading

Canvas Shell: Library of Accessibility Resources by SBCTC includes easy to understand information and additional resources organized in topic-based modules to help you improve the accessibility of your course materials
Video: 5 Principles for Creating Accessible Canvas Pages by How to Canvas explains how to format your Canvas content using the Rich Content Editor so it’s accessible
Website: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines by CAST includes suggestions for optimizing course design for the benefit of all students
Website: A Tutorial for Making Online Learning Accessible to Students with Disabilities by Sheryl Burgstahler provides instruction on how to make your course more accessible and inclusive
Website: WebAIM by WebAIM includes a variety of instructional resources for creating accessible content
Website: WebAIM's Color Contrast Checker by WebAIM is a tool for checking the contrast ratio of foreground and background colors for WCAG AA and WCAG AAA compliance

References

4.6.a - Accesssability statement

Mobus, F. (2020, October 30). The Irony of Inclusion and Accessibility Statements. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved August 9, 2021, from https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2020/10/30/how-inclusive-and-accessible-your-statement-inclusion-and-accessibility
Wool, Z. (2018, August 13). Check Your Syllabus 101: Disability Access Statements. anthro{dendum}. Retrieved August 9, 2021, from https://anthrodendum.org/2018/08/13/check-your-syllabus-101-disability-access-statements/

4.6.b - Using accessible required and optional course materials and technologies

Gierdowski, D. C., & Galanek, J. (2020, June 1). ECAR Study of the Technology Needs of Students with Disabilities, 2020. Educause. Retrieved August 9, 2021, from https://www.educause.edu/ecar/research-publications/ecar-study-of-the-technology-needs-of-students-with-disabilities/2020/online-access-to-materials-and-resources
World Wide Web Consortium - WC3. (2025, May 6). “Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.” Retrieved June 2, 2025 from https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/
Americans with Disabilities (2024, April 8) “Fact Sheet: New Rule on the Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps Provided by State and Local Governments.” Retrieved June 2, 2025 from https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/

4.6.c - Including resources connecting students to accessibility support services

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4.6.d - Directions for locating accessible formats of required course content and/or access alternative resources

Gierdowski, D. C., & Galanek, J. (2020, June 1). ECAR Study of the Technology Needs of Students with Disabilities, 2020. Educause. Retrieved August 9, 2021, from https://www.educause.edu/ecar/research-publications/ecar-study-of-the-technology-needs-of-students-with-disabilities/2020/online-access-to-materials-and-resources

4.6.n - Flashing images or seizure-inducing animations

Epilepsy Foundation. (n.d.). Photosensitivity and Seizures. Epilepsy Foundation. Retrieved August 24, 2021, from https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/triggers-seizures/photosensitivity-and-seizures
University of Washington. (n.d.). Avoiding Flashing or Flickering Content. Retrieved August 25, 2021, from https://www.washington.edu/accessibility/checklist/flashing-content/
WebAIM. (n.d.). Seizure and Vestibular Disorders. WebAIM. Retrieved August 24, 2021, from https://webaim.org/articles/seizure/#overview

4.6.e - Linking to accessibility policies for course technologies

Educause. (n.d.). How to talk to and discuss accessibility with vendors? [HTML Document]. EDUCAUSE Constituent Group Discussion List. Retrieved August 11, 2021, from http://listserv.educause.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A3=ind1008&L=ITACCESS&E=quoted-printable&P=504405&B=------%3D_NextPart_000_0043_01CB43CB.F7C0A250&T=text%2Fhtml;%20name=%22how_to_talk_to_vendors_about_accessibility.html%22&N=how_to_talk_to_vendors_about_accessibility.html&attachment=q&XSS=3
SBCTC. (n.d.). Miscellaneous Resources [Canvas Module]. Library of Accessibility Resources. Retrieved August 6, 2021, from https://sbctc.instructure.com/courses/1578604/modules/4045157

4.6.f - Describing how course technologies meet guidelines for WCAG 2.1 AA or higher

Educause. (n.d.). How to talk to and discuss accessibility with vendors? [HTML Document]. EDUCAUSE Constituent Group Discussion List. Retrieved August 11, 2021, from http://listserv.educause.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A3=ind1008&L=ITACCESS&E=quoted-printable&P=504405&B=------%3D_NextPart_000_0043_01CB43CB.F7C0A250&T=text%2Fhtml;%20name=%22how_to_talk_to_vendors_about_accessibility.html%22&N=how_to_talk_to_vendors_about_accessibility.html&attachment=q&XSS=3
SBCTC. (n.d.). Miscellaneous Resources [Canvas Module]. Library of Accessibility Resources. Retrieved August 6, 2021, from https://sbctc.instructure.com/courses/1578604/modules/4045157
SBCTC. (n.d.). Web Accessibility [Canvas Module]. Library of Accessibility Resources. Retrieved August 11, 2021, from https://sbctc.instructure.com/courses/1578604/modules/3287502

4.6.g - Inviting students to offer feedback on the quality, accessibility, and usability of course technologies

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