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Basics Principles of IT Accessibility Accessible Course Design Document Accessibility Web Accessibility Upcoming Training

Basic Principles of IT Accessibility

Six Essential Steps for Digital Accessibility

The Six Essential Steps enables you to recognize digital accessibility issues when they arise and learn more as you encounter different accessibility rules in all of your online content.

Spring 2025 Lunch & Learn Series: Six Essential Steps

Step 1: Headings

Learn how to make headings accessible through providing proper heading structure.

Step 2: Links

Learn how to make links accessible through using clear and purposeful naming conventions.

Step 3: Color & Contrast

Learn how to make content accessible by testing contrast ratios and applying thoughtful use of color.

Step 4: Images

Learn how to make images accessible by writing meaningful alt text, marking images as decorative when appropriate, and applying best practices to content on ELMS-Canvas, websites, presentations, newsletters, and more.

Step 5: Tables

Learn how to make accessible tables by adding table headers, avoiding merged, split, and empty cells, and identifying what information tables should be utilized for.

Step 6: Media

Learn how to make audio and video content accessible by adding accurate captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions in platforms like ELMS-Canvas, Youtube, and Zoom.

Accessible Course Design

Ally

An overview of Ally, the ELMS-Canvas accessibility tool. Topics will include alternative formats of course content available for your students and instructor feedback and guidance on accessibility issues in course content. Explore the Ally Accessibility tool! Webinars directed to instructors using ELMS-Canvas.

Extending Time in ELMS-Canvas Quizzes, New and Old

A review of the steps required for extending time in ELMS-Canvas quizzes. It's important to make sure you know how to implement extended time in exams given through the ELMS-Canvas quiz tool for any of your students who have this accommodation. We will cover extending time in both classic quizzes and new quizzes, as the steps are slightly different.

Implementing Accommodations and Accessibility: Best Practices Online

An overview of the most common online accommodations such as extended time for exams and professional captioning using ELMS-Canvas. We will share accessibility best practices and tools that can be used to build accessibility as an integral part of course design.

 

ELMS-Canvas Accessibility Tools

An overview of the available tools for improving the accessibility and usability of content in ELMS-Canvas. Barriers to learning can occur from simple issues with common elements such as color contrast, links, heading levels, and tables — but there are several built-in tools available for checking and fixing these issues.

Some previous experience with ELMS-Canvas is helpful, but this session is designed for every level of experience. Attendees will leave with an understanding of the available resources and the ability to use them in their own course spaces.

Document Accessibility

Adobe Acrobat Pro PDF Remediation Software

Using the desktop version of Adobe Acrobat Pro provided by the university, evaluate and remediate PDF accessibility issues. The workshops listed below cover basic and advanced PDF accessibility issues.

PDF Basics

Learn how to evaluate PDFs for accessibility by running Adobe's Accessibility Checker, interpreting accessibility reports from Adobe, and using tools such as 'Make Accessible' to fix found issues.

PDF Beyond the Basics

Learn how to remediate complex PDF accessibility issues by navigating the tagging tree system, reordering content for screen reader accessibility, adding and editing content tags, and preparing fillable forms.

SensusAccess: Alternative Media Made Easy

SensusAccess is an alternative media solution to convert documents into multiple formats. SensusAccess allows students, faculty, staff, and alumni to convert documents into various alternate media, including audiobooks (MP3 and DAISY), e-books (EPUB, EPUB3, and Mobi), and digital Braille. Please note that the quality of the conversion is dependent upon the quality of the original document. 

Resources

Equidox PDF Remediation Software: New User Training

Equidox is a web-based software that converts inaccessible PDFs into accessible documents. Training is required for users before being granted access to the platform.

Training and Tutorials

  • Review Equidox training videos covering the high-level basics for day-to-day use of Equidox, interface navigation, and best practices for PDF accessibility. Areas of focus will include text, headings, lists, tables, images, links, and other common elements that make up a PDF document.
  • Review the Equidox user guide.

Web Accessibility

Introduction to Web Accessibility

Introductory training for web content producers, editors, and managers. This 2-hour training will cover:

  • Introduction to Web Accessibility
  • Overview of how individuals with disabilities use the web
  • How to apply the IT accessibility 6 essential steps (headings, links, color, and contrast, images, tables, media) in everyday tasks
  • Basics of accessibility testing (automated tools and manual checks)
  • Basics of document accessibility

Pre-recorded webinar materials:

Siteimprove: All modules overview and updates

Siteimprove is a third-party hosted Web Governance software solution that enables users to quality check websites under the umd.edu domain for accessibility compliance, errors, and best practices. The Siteimprove Web Governance suite includes the following modules and tools:

  • Accessibility (check against WCAG 2.0)
  • Quality Assurance (broken links, misspellings)
  • SEO module (increases Search Engine traffic)
  • PDF Checker (test PDFs hosted on a website for broken links and accessibility issues)

Available Training and Support

  1. Login at www.siteimprove.umd.edu with your UMD credentials.
  2. Review the following training resources:

Upcoming Training Sessions

Upcoming Trainings
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