This content on creating accessible online course content was provided by UT Martin's Accessibility Resource Center. For more information, contact the ARC at 731.881.7195 or ARC@utm.edu For technical issues with Canvas, contact the ITC at 731.881.7900 or itc@utm.edu.
In April 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a new rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which mandates specific digital accessibility requirements for state and local government organizations, including public higher education institutions. The ADA Title II changes for higher education require all public universities to ensure their digital content, including websites, online course materials, and mobile apps, meets Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards. The compliance deadline is April 24, 2026.
Faculty should ensure all online materials meet WCAG 2.1 AA
This applies to:
· Files uploaded (PDF, Word, PowerPoint)
· Videos and audio
· Images, charts, tables
· Links and navigation
· Online assessments
· Third-party content used in your course
Guidance for Videos
Please make sure that:
· Captions are accurate, not auto-captions left unedited
· Transcripts exist for audio-only content
· Any essential visual content is described verbally in the video
Guidance for Documents (PDFs, Word docs, PPTs etc.)
· Headings use built-in styles (Heading 1, Heading 2…)
· Images have alt text
· Tables have header rows
· Hyperlinks have meaningful text
· PDFs are tagged, not scanned images
· Run the Accessibility Checker (Word, PowerPoint, Acrobat, Google Docs)
Guidance for Images
· Include alt text describing the content or purpose
· Decorative images marked “decorative”
Guidance for Use of Color
· Text and background have sufficient contrast
· Color is not the only way information is conveyed
· Text is readable (12–14 pt font minimum in documents)
· No flashing or strobing content is used
Guidance for Online Assessments
· Instructions are clear and in text form
· Images in test questions have alt text
· Multimedia used in assessments is captioned or transcribed
· Timed quizzes allow extended-time accommodation settings (when approved by the ARC)
· Students can complete assessments with a keyboard
Additional Guidance
· When a student reports an access issue to you, you must respond quickly (24-48 hours according to Title II).
· Review your course before and after each semester. Ensure videos are captioned, doc are accessible, links still work, and images have alt text.
· Notify IT and/or the Accessibility Resource Center if a student reports accessibility issues with your course or if you have any concerns about the accessibility of your course.