Ball State faculty can access resources to remediate course content to align with ADA Title II digital accessibility requirements in our Digital Accessibility site, part of the Teaching Innovation Team Public Resources Canvas Community.
What is the ADA Title II New Rule?
Read a detailed discussion of the updated New Rule accessibility requirements in this previous blog post.
Specifically, accessibility concerns are particularly prominent for but are not limited to:
- PowerPoint slides (such as lecture slides)
- Images included in the course site, slide decks, and/or readings
- Video content
- PDF readings or handouts
- Course syllabus
Video and Captioning Guidance
Preparing video content for accessibility is a daunting component of these changes. If you haven’t already, we recommend creating, storing, and sharing your videos with Panopto, the university-supported video platform at BSU. Panopto supports the creation and editing of video captions—the primary part of video accessibility.
Resources for Remediating for Accessibility
Trying to remediate an entire course for accessibility all at once can be overwhelming, so we recommend adopting a step-by-step approach that supports prioritizing your time and student success. Review our “One-Item-at-a-Time Workflow” to see an easy, step-by-step breakdown for doing this.
An essential element of that step-by-step process is the usage of Canvas’s built in Accessibility Checker. You can review this help documentation at Instructure to learn more about how to use the Accessibility Checker and see images to help you navigate its interface.
Aside from videos, another major course component to remediate are PDFs, and that remediation is largely done by using Adobe Acrobat. If you do not currently have access to Acrobat, you can request it by using the Adobe Software Request form.
Talk to Your Liaisons at University Libraries About Reading Lists
If your course relies heavily on PDFs of readings, consider reaching out to University Libraries about getting set up with a Reading List. If the library has access to the articles you need, they can help you get accessible versions of them available for your learners.
Software Accessibility
Do you use, or plan to use, a particular software as a part of your course? You can review the Software Accessibility Review Process here. This is the process that ensures new academic technology meets the University’s accessibility guidelines under State and Federal law.
Resources for Learning More About Accessibility
To learn more about accessibility, enroll in our Make Your Canvas Course Accessible Self-Paced Course. This course includes written materials and short video presentations, covering a number of important topics, such as the basics of accessibility, the 8 steps for making your course accessible, support for discipline-specific accessibility, Universal Design for Learning, and more.
Additionally, the course contains a wealth of resources and guidance that lives on your Canvas Dashboard both before and after completion. Even if you don’t finish the course, enrolling in it gives you access to its information and resources.
Conclusion
The updated deadline to meet these requirements is April 26, 2027. Reviewing and remediating course content for accessibility is a lot, and it’s understandable to feel overwhelmed. Bookmark our Digital Accessibility page in our Teaching Innovation Team’s Public Resources. This page is your up-to-date resource for tracking these changes and the support available at the University for complying to them.
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