D2L tips for accessibility, from Linkedin Learning™
Enabling user accessibility from Learning Brightspace by D2L by Alan Ackmann
In the Innovation Center:
Guide to Digital Accessibility: Policies, Practices, and Professional Development
Design your course for all learners
On April 24, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a final rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), requiring public colleges and universities to ensure that their websites and mobile applications meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. This rule provides clear, enforceable standards for digital accessibility, reflecting a growing recognition that access to information is a civil right.
Accessible design benefits everyone. Clear navigation, readable text, captioned media, and adaptable interfaces improve usability for all users, including those accessing content on mobile devices, in noisy environments, or with impairments. Accessibility fosters innovation, inclusivity, and resilience—values that are central to the mission of higher education.
To support faculty in creating inclusive and equitable learning experiences, we have developed a listing of resources and guide sheets that focus on accessibility. These resources are provided to help ensure that instructional materials meet accessibility standards and are usable by all learners.
The Ally accessibility tools available in all D2L Brightspace courses identify accessibility errors and provides guidance on correcting them. Resources and frequently asked questions related to Ally may be found on the Innovation Center’s Ally web page.
Accessible documents should include alternative text descriptions for all images, designated headings in a logical order, and sufficient color contrast. Images should be in line with the text content and not be superimposed over text or be set to have text wrapping around them. Word has an accessibility checking tool available on the review tab that will provide feedback and guidance on correcting accessibility errors.
Applying Headings in Word (Tutorial)
Adding Alternative Text Descriptions in Word (Tutorial)
Using the Accessibility Checking Tool in Word (Tutorial)
Slides within a presentation should include a unique title, logical heading structure, alternative text descriptions for all images, and sufficient color contrast. The slide layouts available in PowerPoint include text placeholders for titles and content and help ensure that the slides contain content in a logical order. PowerPoint has an accessibility checking tool available on the Review tab that will identify any accessibility errors and provide instructions for correcting them.
WebAIM Recommended Techniques for Creating Accessible Presentations
Microsoft Guide for Creating Accessible PowerPoint Presentations
Documents that were scanned with older scanners that do not recognize text are inaccessible and cannot be read with a screen reader. If the document is legible and uses a standard font, it can often be printed and rescanned with a modern scanner that recognizes text and will meet the accessibility standards with minimal editing.
PDF documents that have accessibility errors such as the lack of alternative text descriptions, poor color contrast, and heading structure issues may often be converted to Word format and corrected with guidance from the Microsoft Accessibility Checking tool.
Correcting Scanned PDF Files – Tutorial by California State University at San Marcos
Video content should include accurate closed captions to ensure accessibility and enhance the learning experience. Instructors can easily upload video files to the Echo360 streaming platform, for which Kish’s has a site license. Once uploaded, videos can be shared directly to the course site in D2L Brightspace. Echo360 automatically generates closed captions, which are typically highly accurate, streamlining the process of making course materials more inclusive.
Math faculty in the face-to-face environment typically present content in a methodical, step-by-step manner and narrate their annotations during instruction. While the static images of handwritten or digital annotations alone are not accessible to all learners, pairing these visuals with clear, detailed audio narration ensures the content meets digital accessibility standards. This approach allows students using assistive technologies to understand the instructional intent and reasoning behind the visuals.
Existing images and scanned PDF documents containing handwritten annotations can be made accessible by adding descriptive alternative text for images or diagrams, or by including audio narration that explains the visual content in detail. These enhancements help ensure that all students, including those using screen readers or other assistive tools, can fully engage with the material. A summary of the options available for correcting accessibility issues with mathematical annotations are listed below.
Accurate detailed alternative text descriptions can often be generated with AI tools like Microsoft Copilot. Image files and Scanned PDF's can be uploaded to Copilot with a prompt requesting a detailed alternative text description. We have tested this process in the Innovation Center and have been impressed with the results. The resulting text may be downloaded in LateX and MathML formats, both of which are accessible and may be used by text readers to provide narration
Audio recordings can be quickly created in D2L using the Video note tool, Zoom recordings, or a smartphone. The recording should describe the process step by step with all of the details to ensure that learners who can not see the visuals will fully understand the process. . This method would also work well with our Lightboard studio.
Tools that will convert handwritten digital annotations into recognizable text characters. Instructors would be able to use touch screens and a stylus to work out problems by hand-drawing mathematical expressions into a “Math Whiteboard” online space, and the tool would convert the hand-drawn characters into text characters, which would be digitally accessible. This option appears to be free.
A trial of Math Whiteboard found that it was fairly user-friendly, recognized the hand drawn symbols for integration, subscripts, and superscripts, and was fairly forgiving of sloppy handwriting. The resulting text equations may be copied and pasted into a Word, or Google document.
Learn how to make your course accessible to all! When you register for the site, don't worry if you're asked about payment; this resource is free to Kishwaukee College users.
Set up your MyQM account to use the Accessibility and Usability Resource Site. Choose "No, I am new here," and sign up with your Kish email.
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