Digital Learning Resources
Accessibility
US Laws
USF Policies
- Policy 0-108 Disability and Accommodations
- Policy 10-506 Captioning and Access of Media Used in Course Content
Student Accessibility Services Resources
Student Accessibility Services have a variety of resources to help you provide the access to course content that your students need.
Canvas Accessibility
- Canvas Accessibility Design Guidelines
- Canvas Accessibility Checker Guide
- Extending Quiz Time with Moderate Quiz Tool
Document Accessibility Checkers
Make your online course materials accessible: organize PDFs and docs with clear titles, headings, and alt text. Screen readers can then relay content effectively to students with visual impairments. Check the SAS Accessibility Guide for tips on pages 10-12, and the following resources for different document types.
Microsoft Office 365
Office 365 Accessibility Checker
MS Word
MS PowerPoint
PDF Documents
- Create and Verify PDF Accessibility
- WebAIM Guide to Making PDF Documents Accessible
- Turning Page Scans into Clean Text
Multimedia Files
Improve multimedia accessibility with concise, 10-minute content with closed captions and transcripts. This can also increase play and review rates. Contact Student Accessibility Services for assistance if captioning tools from Kaltura, Teams, or Canvas don't meet your needs.
Image Files
Alternative text (Alt text) provides descriptions of images, allowing screen readers to convey their content to users who are visually impaired. Instead of displaying file names, screen readers read the Alt text to provide meaningful context.
Below are resources on how to add Alt text in common file types:
- Adding Alt text in Canvas
- WebAIM Article on Alternative Text
- Adding Alt text in MS365
- Adding Alt Text in PDFs
What About Color?
Color is an important consideration when determining the accessibility of your content. Check out our video about it and some tools to help.