Getting Started with Digital Accessibility

Digital accessibility does not require fixing everything at once. Start with the tools you use most, learn a few high-impact practices, and build from there. This page brings together COCC’s accessibility guides by tool, practical WCAG tips, and training resources for faculty.

DIY Faculty Guide Guides by Tool WCAG Top Ten Accessibility Training

Start Here

Not sure where to start?

Check out our DIY Faculty Guide for practical, actionable steps designed to help you assess course content, identify new skills, and make your own personalized accessibility plan.

The DIY Guide includes an interactive tool for creating a personalized digital accessibility plan and is designed for any level of experience or familiarity with Digital Accessibility concepts.

Interactive Planning Tool DIY Faculty Guide

Only have 5 minutes?

Three high-impact starting points: use headings consistently, make sure images have appropriate descriptions, and verify that videos include captions or transcripts.

Digital Accessibility by Tool

Explore tutorials and resources for meeting WCAG 2.1 AA standards in the tools and file types you use most often.

Canvas

Canvas Guide

Word

Word Guide

PowerPoint

PPT Guide

PDF Guide

10 Steps Closer to WCAG 2.1 AA

These quick practices are a useful place to begin when you are reviewing course materials for accessibility.

Color

Colors used must contrast strongly enough against their background. The official ratio is 4.5:1; use tools like the WebAIM Contrast Checker to verify.
Do not rely on color alone to communicate important information.

Text Formatting

Use underlining only for links. Highlight important points in other ways, such as bold or italics.
Set fonts to 9pt or larger.
Whenever possible, use a sans serif font like Arial, Aptos, or Calibri.

Images

Position images in Word documents so they are “In Line with Text,” rather than floated with wrapped text.
Images should have descriptions, either through alt text or in surrounding content, that explain their purpose or context.

Headings and Readability

Include at least one Heading 1 in documents and use subsequent headings (H2, H3, etc.) if the document is three pages or longer.
Use the Reading Order tool in PowerPoint to check that slides are read correctly.

Audio and Video

Use a media player that supports closed captions and allows playback to be stopped and started by the viewer.

TIP: if you improve readability, structure, and media accessibility first, you will already be addressing some of the most common student barriers.

Digital Accessibility Training

Explore clips from the 2024 eLearning Summer Institute series on Digital Accessibility, now organized in playlists. If you want to work through the full material in more depth, the 2024 Summer Institute Canvas course is open for self-enrollment.