ADA Title II Compliance Checklist

Recommended LinkedIn Learning Courses 

We recommend that all instructors complete this series of asynchronous training from LinkedIn Learning and Microsoft. These are the courses we were trained on. They are by far the best route to learning how to make your courses accessible to all learners.

• Designing for Digital Accessibility for Online Learning
• Microsoft Office Accessibility for Beginners
  • See also: Accessibility Resources & Training | Microsoft Accessibility
• Introduction to Creating Accessible PDFs 
• Accessibility for Web Design 
  

We also recommend D2L Brightspace's LinkedIn Learning Course as an additional training to effectively use our Learning Management System.

• CTE's Great Escape Course: Gamified, Asynchronous Accessibility Training
• CTE's Regularly Scheduled Training & Workshops

Goal: Every file shared with students, whether through D2L Brightspace or email, should be readable by assistive technologies. 

 Minimum Requirements 

• Use built-in heading styles, lists, and table structures. 
• Provide alt text for images and charts. 
• Use descriptive link text (avoid “click here”). 
• Run “Check Accessibility” in Word, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat before posting. 
• Verify color contrast meets standards (use a Color Contrast Analyzer). 
• Export accessible versions of all other tools, like Adobe Express. 

All videos must include captions. Always review auto-generated captions and correct for accuracy. 

• Use Microsoft Stream (AKA Clipchamp) or the D2L Brightspace Media Library to upload and caption your recordings. 
• If you use YouTube or other external platforms, double-check that captions are present and accurate before embedding. 
• Provide transcripts for audio-only content (podcasts, interviews, etc.). 
• Ensure media players support keyboard access and playback controls. 

Recommended Practice 

• When recording lectures or presentations, speak clearly, minimize background noise, and reference on-screen visuals verbally. 
• Maintain high contrast and readable text in any slide or screen recording. 

Use built-in support tools: 

• Click Check Accessibility: Scans HTML pages and content for common errors. 
• Listen to your course using ReadSpeaker: Offers text-to-speech for on-screen text. 
• Accessible Templates: Use Creator+ or SIU-provided accessible content blocks when building content. 

Certain subjects require specialized approaches: 

• Math: Use MathML or LaTeX, not images of equations. 
• Sciences: Label diagrams and molecular structures descriptively. 
• Arts: Descriptively describe art or artwork. When possible, link to open-source or government platforms that have already done the work.  
• Foreign Languages: Provide alt text for scripts or transliterations. 
  Faculty in technical disciplines should follow subject-specific accessibility standards. 

Emails and other digital communication channels require the same design as course content. 

• Use plain-language formatting and readable fonts. 
• Write clear, descriptive subject lines. 
• Include accessible hyperlinks and avoid image-only announcements. 
• Ensure attachments meet document accessibility standards. 
• Add alt text to images. 
• Provide captioning in videos.