Location: Edward St. John Learning and Teaching Center, Room 0201
From Documents to Courses: Building Digital Accessibility that Works is a two-day, in-person professional development retreat designed for faculty and staff who create digital content for teaching and learning.
Through hands-on, guided practice, participants will learn practical strategies for making commonly used documents and ELMS-Canvas courses more accessible, inclusive, and compliant with accessibility standards. Each session focuses on tools and workflows you already use—no advanced technical background required.
Participants will leave with:
- Practical skills they can apply immediately
- A clearer understanding of digital accessibility best practices
- Accessible materials that have begun to improve during the retreat
- Greater confidence in supporting all learners, including those with disabilities
Day 1: Documents that Work for Everyone - March 19, 2026
In this hands-on session, participants will learn how to create and remediate accessible documents using tools they already rely on. We’ll focus on practical, time-saving strategies for making content usable by screen readers and other assistive technologies, without starting from scratch.
Topics Include:
- Structuring content with headings and styles
- Creating accessible document files (Microsoft and Google)
- Designing accessible presentation files (Microsoft and Google)
- Using built-in accessibility checkers effectively
- Common accessibility issues—and how to fix them quickly
Day 2: Canvas Courses that Work for Everyone - March 20, 2026
This session focuses on making Canvas courses more accessible, organized, and student-friendly using built-in and integrated tools. Participants will learn how accessibility supports better course design—and how small changes can make a big impact for all learners.
Topics include:
- Improving course structure and consistency in Canvas
- Using DesignPLUS to create accessible, well-designed pages
- Streamlining content with TidyUp
- Interpreting and acting on Ally accessibility feedback
- Identifying common Canvas accessibility barriers
There will be a lunch break each day between noon and 1 p.m.