Course Content Checklist
The following checklist has been designed to assist you in identifying key areas of your course that may need alterations to make the learning experience more inclusive and accessible to all students, in alignment with ADA and Section 508 (Americans with Disabilities Act).
The CCC-OSCQR Course Design Self-Assessment (PDF) - which covers a wider range of topics around course design and includes accessibility standards - can also be used.
| Category | Criteria | Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Disability Statement | The Syllabus provides guidance on how to request accommodations. |
|
| Publisher Resources | Publisher resources and content state that they are compliant. | |
| Navigation | ||
| Course Facilitation | Provide alternative activities/methods for those unable to participate in a synchronous web conference. |
| Category | Criteria | Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Font | Text is provided in a Sans Serif font (e.g., Calibri, Arial, Verdana) for easy readability on computer and mobile devices. | |
| Font & Background Color | Use a strong color contrast between text and background colors (black text against a light background). | |
| Color Coding | Avoid using color to distinguish between information. Use additional means in addition to color such as bold or italics as well as visual patterns when creating charts. | |
| Formatting | Avoid underlining text as well as the overuse of all CAPS, bold, or italics. If text is made bold to increase importance of text, add the word “Important” or “Note” before the bold text. | |
| Headings | Use Styles within Microsoft Word to organize your content with Headings (i.e., Heading 1 – primary level, Heading 2 – sections, Heading 3 - subsections). | |
| Tables and Graphs | Tables and graphs must include captions that detail the content included. | |
| Table Headers | Tables include row and column headers to distinguish the heading text from the data area of the table. | |
| Textboxes | Avoid using text boxes within Microsoft Word. Instead, type the text regularly in the desired reading order. | |
| Links | All links are descriptive of the linked content (i.e., article title); do not use “click here” or “read more”. | |
| PowerPoint Presentations | Presentations utilize the built-in slide layout templates to ensure correct structured headings and lists, proper reading order, etc. | |
| PDF documents created in Microsoft Word | Use the “Export” function in Microsoft Word to create a tagged PDF; the “Save As PDF” option may not retain document accessibility. | |
| Scanned PDF Documents | Avoid scanning works as images. Ensure source material can be read as text. (e.g., hand-written notes and equations will not convert to text.) |
| Category | Criteria | Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Alternative Text (Alt text) and Images | Images are near the content being supported, are of a clear quality, and have meaningful alt text descriptions. If the alt text cannot fully describe the image, provide additional narrative. Use figure numbers to reference images, charts and graphs. | |
| Animations | Animated images include representative descriptions of the action occurring. | |
| Blinking or Flashing Multimedia | Avoid animated or blinking images, text, or cursors. | |
| Transcripts | A text transcript is provided for audio recordings. Text transcripts are 100% accurate to meet ADA guidelines. | |
| Closed Captioning | Captions are provided for video (Kaltura, YouTube, etc.). Captions are 100% accurate to meet ADA guidelines. |
Download a Microsoft Word version of the checklist.
Appendix A: Sample Syllabus Disability Statement
Students with Disabilities (including short-term impairments): If you are a student with a documented disability and you believe you will need accommodations or academic adjustments for this class, it is your responsibility to contact the Office of _______ at [DSP/Phone/Email]. To avoid any delay in receipt of accommodations or academic adjustments, you should contact the Office of ______ as soon as possible.
In response to your request, the Office of ______ may ask you to provide supporting medical documentation, diagnostic test results or professional prescriptions to evaluate your request for the accommodations or academic adjustments. The Office of ______ may also obtain its own professional determination of whether specific requested accommodations or academic adjustments are necessary.
Please note that accommodations or academic adjustments cannot be provided until approved and an accommodation letter from the Office of ______ has been received by faculty and student. If you experience a temporary impairment, medical condition, or are pregnant, and it interferes with your schoolwork, call [DSP/Phone/Email].