The Importance of Accessible Course Materials

← View the Creating Accessible Materials Series

UDOLLI Moderator Training

Why Accessible Materials Matter

Learn why accessibility is an essential part of inclusive teaching, a responsibility in higher education, and a practical requirement for the materials participants use to learn and participate.

Series: Creating Accessible Materials Start Here Estimated Time: 10 Minutes Format: Short Read + Checklist

Creating Accessible Materials: The Learning Path

Begin with this introduction, then use the step-by-step trainings to create accessible Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and PDFs and to complete a final accessibility check.

Accessibility Is About Equal Participation

Accessible materials allow people with disabilities to receive the same information, complete the same activities, and participate in the same learning experience as other participants. Accessibility should not depend on whether someone has disclosed a disability or requested a last-minute accommodation.

Disabilities may affect vision, hearing, mobility, speech, memory, concentration, reading, or information processing. Some disabilities are apparent, while others are not. A participant may also use accessible features because of aging, a temporary injury, fatigue, a noisy environment, a small screen, or another situational need.

It Supports Inclusion

Participants should not encounter avoidable barriers in materials intended to help them learn, prepare, register, communicate, or participate.

It Improves Clarity

Descriptive headings, readable layouts, captions, meaningful links, and well-organized content make materials easier for many people to use.

It Protects Independence

Accessible materials reduce the need for a participant to ask someone else to read, interpret, navigate, or complete a task for them.

It Prevents Delays

Building accessibility into the original file is usually faster and more reliable than remediating inaccessible materials after someone needs them.

Accessibility Is Also a Federal Civil-Rights Responsibility

Federal disability law requires colleges and universities to provide people with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from their programs, services, and activities. The specific legal route differs by institution, but accessibility is not limited to students who have already requested an accommodation.

Public Colleges and Universities

Public institutions are covered by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and must provide equal access to their programs, services, activities, and communications.

Private Colleges and Universities

Private institutions are generally covered by Title III of the ADA as places of public accommodation and must provide full and equal access and effective communication.

Institutions Receiving Federal Funds

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits disability discrimination in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.

Current Web and Digital Accessibility Rule for Public Institutions

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Title II web and mobile accessibility rule requires covered state and local government web content and mobile apps to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Under the current federal timeline, public entities with populations of 50,000 or more must comply by April 26, 2027; smaller entities and special district governments must comply by April 26, 2028.

Important distinction: This specific technical rule applies directly to public entities. Private colleges and universities remain responsible for accessibility under ADA Title III and, when applicable, Section 504 even though the Title II rule is not their governing technical standard.

The U.S. Departments of Justice and Education have specifically identified online courses, learning platforms, podcasts, videos, and content hosted on third-party services as part of the accessibility responsibilities of postsecondary institutions.

This Page Provides General Guidance

This training explains the practical accessibility responsibilities of moderators and instructors. It is not legal advice and does not replace University policy or guidance from the appropriate accessibility, disability-services, legal, or information-technology offices.

A Simple Decision Rule

If a participant must read it, watch it, listen to it, navigate it, complete it, or use it to participate in your seminar, prepare it accessibly before sharing it.

What Materials Need to Be Accessible?

Accessibility applies to more than websites. It includes the digital, multimedia, and printed materials participants use to obtain information or take part in the program.

Material	Accessibility Need
Word documents and digital handouts	Use heading styles, real lists, readable text, descriptive links, simple tables, alternative text, and a logical reading order.
PowerPoint presentations	Use accessible layouts, meaningful slide titles, readable contrast and text, alternative text, a logical reading order, and captions for media.
PDF files	Create them from an accessible source file, preserve tags and reading order, and confirm that text can be selected, searched, and read by assistive technology.
Webpages, online registration, and learning platforms	Ensure keyboard access, clear structure, labeled forms, meaningful links, readable contrast, accessible documents, and compatibility with assistive technology.
Email messages and announcements	Use descriptive subject lines and headings, readable formatting, meaningful links, and accessible attachments.
Videos, recordings, and podcasts	Provide accurate captions for spoken audio, transcripts when appropriate, accessible controls, and description of essential visual information when it is not otherwise communicated.
Images, photographs, charts, maps, and diagrams	Provide a meaningful text alternative or nearby explanation when the visual communicates information. Mark purely decorative images as decorative.
Forms, worksheets, quizzes, and activities	Use clear labels and instructions, logical navigation, accessible fields or controls, and enough information to identify and correct errors.
Scanned readings and image-only documents	Convert scans to readable text, correct recognition errors, add structure, and verify that assistive technology can navigate the content.
Third-party websites, videos, apps, and tools used in the seminar	Evaluate accessibility before requiring participants to use them. Linking to or purchasing a tool does not remove the responsibility to provide equal access.
Older materials reused in a current seminar	Review and remediate them before reuse. An old file becomes a current instructional material when it is assigned, posted, presented, or distributed again.
Printed materials	Keep an accessible digital source and be prepared to provide an effective alternative format, such as large print or an accessible electronic version, when needed.

What Generally Does Not Require Full Accessibility Remediation?

Not every file or image must be treated as a participant-facing instructional resource. The following categories may not require full remediation, but the distinction depends on how the material is actually used.

Private Working Notes

Personal drafts, planning notes, and research files that are never distributed, displayed, posted, or used by participants generally do not need to be remediated as participant materials.

Purely Decorative Images

An image that adds visual decoration but communicates no information does not need descriptive alternative text. It should be marked as decorative so assistive technology can skip it.

True Archived Content

Under the public-entity Title II web rule, narrowly defined archived content kept only for reference, research, or recordkeeping may qualify for an exception. Content still used for a current course, service, or activity is not merely archived.

Some Preexisting Public-Entity Documents

The Title II rule has a limited exception for certain preexisting PDFs, Word files, presentations, and spreadsheets that are not currently used to apply for, access, or participate in a program or service.

Truly Unaffiliated Third-Party Posts

The public-entity rule may except content posted by an unaffiliated third party who is not acting for the institution. Content selected, purchased, assigned, or posted under an institutional arrangement should not be treated as outside the institution’s responsibility.

Individualized Protected Records

The public-entity web rule includes a narrow technical exception for certain password-protected documents about a specific person, property, or account. Other duties, including effective communication, may still apply.

Exceptions Are Not a Reason to Ignore Access

Even when a public-entity web-rule exception applies, the institution may still need to provide the information in an accessible format to ensure effective communication and equal participation. When in doubt, create an accessible original or contact the appropriate University office before sharing the material.

How to Decide in Common Situations

You Create a PowerPoint Only for Yourself

If participants will see the slides during class, receive a copy, or depend on them for information, the presentation should be accessible. It is not merely a private working file.

You Link to a YouTube Video

If the video is part of the seminar, confirm that it has accurate captions and that essential visual information is available to participants who cannot see it.

You Reuse an Old PDF

If the PDF is assigned, posted, emailed, or distributed in the current seminar, review and remediate it before reuse. Its age does not make the current use accessible.

You Show a Decorative Photograph

If the photograph communicates no instructional information, mark it decorative. If you discuss details in the photograph, it is no longer purely decorative and needs a meaningful text equivalent or verbal explanation.

You Use a Printed Handout

Maintain an accessible electronic source and be ready to provide an effective alternate format. Printing an inaccessible digital file does not resolve the underlying barrier.

You Use a Third-Party Website

Test whether participants can navigate and use it accessibly. If it creates a barrier, choose another resource or arrange an equally effective accessible way to complete the activity.

Before You Share Any Material

Can a participant using a keyboard navigate it?
Can assistive technology identify the headings, lists, links, tables, and reading order?
Do images and charts have meaningful text alternatives when they communicate information?
Do videos have accurate captions and accessible controls?
Can text be enlarged and still remain readable?
Is color contrast sufficient, and is meaning communicated without relying on color alone?
Are instructions and form labels clear?
Have you used the accessibility checker and manually reviewed the result?
Is the accessible version available at the same time as the material provided to everyone else?

Build Accessibility into the Original

The most reliable approach is to create accessible Word documents and PowerPoint presentations first, then export accessible PDFs and complete a final check. This reduces last-minute remediation and helps ensure that every participant receives the same material at the same time.

Common Questions

Do I need to know whether someone in my seminar has a disability?

No. Build participant-facing materials accessibly from the beginning. Participants may not disclose a disability, may develop a need later, or may benefit from accessible features for reasons unrelated to a permanent disability.

Is an accessible version only needed when someone requests one?

Institutions must be able to provide equal access and effective communication. Preparing accessible originals in advance is the most reliable way to avoid delays and unequal access.

Does running the Accessibility Checker guarantee compliance?

No. Automated checkers identify some problems, but they cannot determine whether alternative text is meaningful, whether the reading order makes sense, whether captions are accurate, or whether instructions are understandable. Manual review is still required.

Can I provide a separate accessible version instead?

A separate version may sometimes be necessary, but it must provide equally effective information and participation without delay or added burden. Creating one accessible version for everyone is usually the stronger approach.

What should I do when a required resource is inaccessible?

Do not wait until a participant encounters the barrier. Look for an accessible replacement, create an effective accessible alternative when permitted, or contact the appropriate University office for help.

Federal Guidance Used for This Training

U.S. Department of Justice: Online Accessibility at Postsecondary Institutions Explains that accessibility responsibilities extend across postsecondary operations, including online courses, learning platforms, podcasts, videos, and third-party platforms.
U.S. Department of Education: Technology Accessibility Explains the equal-access obligations of educational institutions under Section 504 and ADA Title II.
ADA.gov: Title II Web and Mobile Accessibility Rule Fact Sheet Summarizes the WCAG 2.1 Level AA requirement, current compliance dates, and major exceptions for public entities.
ADA.gov: First Steps Toward Title II Web-Rule Compliance Clarifies the public-entity exceptions and explains that other ADA duties may still require accessible information.
ADA.gov: Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA Provides examples of barriers involving images, captions, forms, keyboard navigation, and online services.
U.S. Department of Education: Section 504 Explains the federal civil-rights protections for people with disabilities in programs receiving federal financial assistance.

Need Help?

UDOLLI moderators who have questions about accessible seminar materials may contact the UDOLLI office at udolli@udayton.edu or 937-229-2605.

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