Accessibility Information for Instructors
As an instructor, there are several things you can do to ensure that the instructional materials used in your course are accessible to all students. To help you accomplish this, we have provided information on a few tools that you can use to check for accessibility in your course, guidelines to follow to incorporate accessibility into your course and resources available to you on campus to help you get started.
- Download the Instructional Materials Accessibility Checklist
- Attend Accessibility Workshops
- Download Accessibility Manuals and Video Tutorials
- Request Captioning Services
- Visit the Faculty Staff Resource Center
Instructional Materials Checklist
The Instructional Materials Accessibility Checklist covers 11 of the most common instructional material areas you will encounter in your course. You can use this checklist to review both brand new courses and courses with substantial new changes starting June 2010. For brand new courses, these checklist items can be considered as guidelines to be followed, as appropriate, at the time your course will be offered. The checklist will apply for existing courses at the point of course redesign or when a student with a disability enrolls in the course. Some of the key areas mentioned in the checklist include:
- Textbooks– Have you submitted your textbook requests to the bookstore for Spring Semester? See MasterCalendar of Deadlines and the Timely Textbook Adoption webpage to see current deadlines for Fall and Spring Semesters.
- Syllabus – Is it in Electronic Format and readily available to students? Did you use one of the Accessible Syllabus Templates?
- Videos and Audio – Are these captioned and/or transcribed? Do you need Captioning Services?
- Accessibility Training – Did you attend accessibility workshops offered each semester?
- Word Documents, Presentations etc. - Are these accessible? Visit the Instructional Materials Accessibility Guides webpage to access self help manuals.
Tips and Resources
Obtain quick recommendations on how to begin creating accessible course content in Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat PDF by visiting the Instructional Materials Accessibility Tips and Resources page. You will find a list of quick tips you can easily follow as well as information about accessibility training available at Sacramento State.
Purchasing Electronic & Information Technology Material
If you are developing or purchasing electronic or technology-based instructional products please make sure that they meet the Section 508 (www.section508.gov) technical accessibility standards (applies to IT purchases above $15,000 starting Fall 2008). Please obtain information from the vendor on how the product meets accessibility requirements. If an accessible IT product is not commercially available, or if an exception to the requirement applies, please document how you will implement an equally effective alternative method of instruction if a student with a disability enrolls in the class. Contact the ATI Compliance Specialist at ati@csus.edu if you have any questions about accessible IT procurement.
Need more help? Please contact Cryssel Vera, Instructional Materials Specialist at cvera@csus.edu to schedule an appointment today.