Creating an accessible learning environment supports every student’s success. The CTE has developed Digital Accessibility in Teaching and Learning resources to help educators design courses that are usable by all students, regardless of ability or learning preference.
The resources highlight practical strategies such as adding alternative text to images, using clear headings, ensuring adequate color contrast, and providing captions or transcripts for multimedia. These practices enhance clarity, organization, and engagement for all learners.
Much of the guidance featured on the site draws from the Digital Accessibility Toolbox, developed by the Digital Accessibility Team in the Division of Information Technology (DoIT). The toolbox serves as the university’s central resource for creating accessible documents, presentations, videos, and web content, and offers step by step guidance for ensuring materials meet accessibility standards.
To further support this work, the Digital Accessibility Microlearning Series has launched and will continue through the spring semester. The series will provide short, focused sessions on topics such as accessible documents, presentations, captioning, and Blackboard Ally, a tool within Blackboard that helps instructors identify and improve the accessibility of course materials. and improve the accessibility of course materials.
In addition, the 6-week Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Short Course, led by CTE Instructional Designer Mitchell Dallas Herring, will be offered in Spring 2026. In this course, participants will define course accessibility requirements, apply UDL principles to enhance engagement, representation, and action and expression in course design, and synthesize UDL strategies for practical use in curriculum development. The UDL in Practice Short Course runs from January 26 - March 6, 2026. Applications are open through Friday, January 9, 2026.
Educators are encouraged to explore the Digital Accessibility web page, review the Course Accessibility Checklist, and take advantage of consultations, microlearning workshops, or the upcoming UDL short course to strengthen accessibility in course design and delivery. Using these resources not only fosters student success but also supports compliance with federal accessibility requirements that apply to instructional materials.