Shared Responsibility

Page Content

Digital accessibility is not the job of a single office. We depend on everyone who creates or shares digital content on our behalf.

	Faculty Faculty are responsible for the accessibility of the course materials, presentations, and Canvas content they create and share.
	Staff Staff are responsible for the accessibility of the documents, webpages, flyers, and communications they produce and post on behalf of their department.
	iTech Information Technology (iTech) establishes our technical standards, reviews new and purchased technologies for accessibility, and maintains our Accessible Technology Policy.
	CFD and Compliance The Center for Faculty Development and the Office of General Counsel provide training and consultation.
	Students and Visitors Students and visitors help us by speaking up when something is not accessible.

FACULTY

1. Use Word or PowerPoint’s built-in heading styles for titles and section headers, not just bold or larger text.
2. Add alt text to every informative image, and mark purely decorative images as decorative. (Right click image and choose "View Alt Text.") Learn more about creating meaningful alt text at Section 508.gov.
3. Write link text that describes the destination, such as “view the grading rubric” instead of “click here.”
4. Run the Canvas Accessibility Checker on every page, quiz, or announcement before publishing (see Tools below).
5. Add captions to videos, and check auto-generated captions for accuracy, especially with discipline-specific terms.
6. For videos with essential visual information, such as charts or on-screen demonstrations, add a brief audio description or explain what is shown directly in your narration.
7. Share native Word or PowerPoint files instead of scanned or “printed” PDFs when possible.

STAFF

1. Add document titles and metadata (File > Properties) to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files before sharing.
2. Use real tables for data only; never merge cells or build tables for page layout.
3. Check color contrast on flyers, newsletters, and slides, and never rely on color alone to convey meaning.
4. When a PDF is required, complete the accessibility work in the source file first, then export as a tagged PDF (avoid “Print to PDF”).
5. Link to external accessible documents rather than re-uploading copies whenever possible.
6. Before purchasing or adopting new software, ask the vendor for a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) and confirm the product works with screen readers and keyboard navigation.
7. Add meaningful alt text to images posted on official department social media accounts.

STUDENTS

1. If a course material, document, or campus website is not accessible to you, you have the right to ask that it be fixed. This is not a special favor.
2. For disability-related accommodations, such as extended time, alternate formats, or note-taking support, contact Student Accessibility Services.
3. Found a broken link, missing caption, or unreadable PDF? Submit our web accessibility issue form or request an alternate format.
4. Explore built-in tools on your own device (Apple • Android ), such as screen readers, live captions, and dictation. These can make coursework easier, whether or not you have a documented disability.