The U.S. Department of Justice now requires all public colleges to ensure that digital content and systems meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards by April 2026. This includes public-facing, student-facing, and internal materials, as well as websites, forms, applications, and administrative platforms. The minimum skill set for faculty and staff to create digital content that complies with Title II accessibility requirements is outlined below.
Minimum Accessibility Skill Set for Faculty & Staff
- Headings & Structure – Use actual headings (not just larger fonts, bold, or color changes) to create logical structure for documents and course materials.
- Images – Add alternative (alt) text for all meaningful images; use captions when helpful; provide long descriptions when images are complex.
- Tables – Use tables only for data, not page layout. Apply proper headers and maintain a logical reading order.
- Links/URLs – Use descriptive link text (e.g., “Read the accessibility policy” instead of “click here” or pasting raw URLs).
- Multimedia (Videos/Audio) – Ensure all videos have accurate closed captions, provide transcripts for audio content, and include audio descriptions or narration for key visual information.
- PDFs & Documents – Save PDFs in an accessible format (OCR, not as images). Use tags and reading order tools to ensure screen readability. (AI tools can assist with retrofitting older PDFs for accessibility.)
Resources from Accessibility Basics Webinar (September 8 & 9):
Making Images Accessible in Canvas: Alt Text and Long Descriptions
When adding images to your Canvas course, it’s important to make sure all students—including those using screen readers—can understand the information. The two main tools for this are alt text and long descriptions.
Alt Text (Alternative Text)
What it is:
Alt text is a short description that tells students what an image shows and why it matters. Screen readers read it aloud, so students who can’t see the image still get the information.
When to use:
- Always for meaningful images (charts, diagrams, photos that add information).
- Not needed for purely decorative images (if the image adds no new information, mark it “Decorative” in Canvas).
How to write good alt text:
- Be brief (usually 125 characters or fewer).
- Focus on the image’s purpose or essential message.
- Do not start with “image of” or “picture of.”
Example:
Instead of: “A picture of a pie chart showing student majors.”
Write: “Pie chart showing 40% nursing, 30% business, 20% IT, 10% other.”
In Canvas:
When inserting an image, type the alt text into the Alt Text field or check “Decorative” if no description is needed.
Long Descriptions
What it is:
A long description provides more detail than alt text for complex images like graphs, maps, infographics, or scientific diagrams.
When to use:
- If the essential details can’t fit into short alt text.
- For visuals where data or context matters (e.g., lab diagrams, historical maps, infographics).
How to provide long descriptions in Canvas:
- Add the description as nearby text on the same page (before or after the image).
- Or link to a separate page/document with the full description.
Example:
Alt Text: “Line graph of average temperatures, 2000–2020.”
Long Description (below the image):
“The graph shows a steady rise in average temperature from 56F in 2000 to 60F in 2020, with the steepest increase occurring between 2010 and 2015.”
Quick Decision Guide
- Alt Text: Short, always required for meaningful images.
- Decorative Images: Mark as decorative (no alt text).
- Long Description: Use for complex visuals that need more explanation.