CATLST

Digital Accessibility Resources

Digitally accessible course materials refer to digital course content such as Canvas pages, instructional videos, linked websites, course PDFs, and any other digital classroom elements that are effectively designed to ensure they can be accessed and used by people of all abilities.

The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive educational experience for all. This page provides resources for instructors to aid them in ensuring all of the digital materials they provide in their courses meet digital accessibility standards.

Six Ways to Increase Digital Accessibility

1. Use Alt Text for Images: Provide descriptive alternative text for all images to help users understand the content.

2. Provide Captioning and Transcription: Provide accurate captioning for all videos and transcripts for audio recordings. Upload videos to Kaltura through Canvas-My Media to automatically caption and transcribe uploaded videos.

3. Use Clear headings and subheadings: Use clear headings and subheadings to organize content and make it easy to scan and navigate.

4. Use Descriptive Link Text: Use clear and concise link text that explains where the link will take the user, rather than generic phrases like "Click here".

5. Ensure Text Readability: Use color appropriately and sparingly. Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background colors. Use a sans-serif font and at least 12-point font size.

6. Use Accessibility Review Tools: Utilize built-in accessibility features in tools like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Google Docs, and the UDOIT Canvas Accessibility scanner to regularly review and test your course materials for accessibility and to identify and fix issues.

Canvas Course - Digital Accessibility 101

Instructional designers and technologists across the Universities of Wisconsin worked together to provide faculty with this exceptional Digital Accessibility 101 Canvas Course. The course is available for any instructor to access for training and additional resources as they develop or revise courses to meet digital accessibility standards. Self-enroll at any time!

Celebrating Teaching and Learning Conference

Digital Accessibility is a central focus of UWW’s Celebrating Teaching and Learning Conference on May 21, 2025. This year’s keynote presentation features an instructor/student panel where students with various learning needs share their experiences with digital accessibility at UWW. Additionally, CATLST and CSD staff will co-host an afternoon breakout session at CTL focused on six simple ways to increase digital accessibility in your courses. Register online to secure your spot!

“Boldly Empowering All: A UWW Student-Instructor Dialogue on Navigating the Digital Accessibility Frontier”

Digital accessibility ensures that all individuals can successfully navigate, understand, and interact with digital content. With new federal laws shaping accessibility standards, it’s more important than ever to our core campus mission that we create and support fully inclusive online experiences. Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires all digital course materials (Canvas pages, quizzes, linked websites, embedded content, and attached documents) meet Digital Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) by April 24, 2026. Join us for an engaging keynote where UWW students and instructors share their experiences with the challenges and opportunities of digital accessibility in their learning environments. Hear real experiences, gain valuable insights, and learn actionable strategies to implement digital accessibility into your own digital content moving forward.

Visit the CTL Website!

CATLST Digital Accessibility Workshops

View the CATLST Workshop calendar to sign up for our Accessibility in Action workshop series. Offered face-to-face and online, these hands-on workshops are designed to demonstrate essential digital accessibility course accommodations and then provide instructors one-on-one assistance to implement those strategies directly into their courses. Topics include:

Designing Accessible Lecture Slides
Designing Accessible Lecture Videos
Designing Accessible Canvas Pages
Using the Canvas UDOIT Accessibility Checker

Schedule a Consultation

Have questions? Need more in-depth training on a particular aspect of digital accessibility? CATLST understands that specialized course materials in various disciplines may require unique modifications to ensure accessibility. We encourage instructors to book one-on-one consultations with one of our Teaching, Learning, and Technology consultants to get personalized support.

Request a Consultation