Online Readings and Materials
Why Accessible Course Materials Matter
Course materials are an essential part of the learning experience, whether students use them during class, in an online course, or on their own time. Simply making a document or resource available, however, does not mean that every student can access, navigate, or use it effectively.
Thoughtful choices about the sources, formats, and accessibility of course materials can reduce barriers and give students greater flexibility in how they engage with course content. Starting with well-prepared, accessible materials can also save instructors time by making resources easier to update, reuse, and maintain.
What Makes Course Material Accessible and Effective?
Accessible course materials allow students to engage with content without unnecessary barriers. Materials should be easy to access, navigate, and understand while supporting the technologies students may use to interact with course content.
The format of a resource plays an important role in its usability. PDF is a common choice, but it is not always the most flexible option. Accessible webpages, library resources, and original Microsoft Office documents may provide a better experience depending on the material and how students need to use it. When PDF is the appropriate format, the document should contain searchable text and be structured so assistive technologies can interpret and navigate it effectively.
Considering accessibility and usability when selecting or creating course materials can prevent many problems before they occur and reduce the need for remediation later.
Start With the Best Available Source
Before scanning, converting, or remediating a document, check whether an accessible digital version is already available. Morris Library, publisher websites, and other authorized academic sources may provide online access to course readings that are ready for students to use.
When an appropriate digital version is available and students can access it, linking to the original source may be preferable to creating another copy. It can reduce preparation while preserving the accessibility and functionality already built into the resource.
If an appropriate digital version is not available, consider the material you already have and determine the best way to prepare it for students.
Choose and Prepare Your Course Material
There is no single format that works best for every course resource. Once you have identified the best available source, consider the material you have and how students will need to use it.
When a reliable online version is available, linking directly to the resource is often the simplest option. This can preserve accessibility and other features already built into the resource while eliminating the need to create another copy.
Before adding the link to your course, make sure students can access the content and provide any required login or access instructions. Finding a resource online does not automatically mean it is accessible. Before linking to a resource, consider both student access and accessibility.
- Morris Library - Search library databases, ebooks, and other licensed resources for materials students can access through SIU.
- Google Scholar - Search for scholarly articles and other academic materials. Because availability varies, verify that students can access the specific version you link to.
- OpenStax - Free, openly licensed college textbooks and educational resources. OpenStax recommends its web-based textbooks for the most accessible reading experience.
- OER Commons - Searchable collection of openly licensed educational resources, with filters for accessibility and other characteristics.
- MERLOT — Collection of online learning materials, including resources with accessibility information and an accessible-OER collection.
Recommended approach: Link directly to the original or library-provided resource when it provides appropriate student access.
Documents created in Microsoft Office do not necessarily need to be converted to PDF. Keeping a document in its original format can preserve accessibility features and make future updates easier.
Before sharing the document, use the Microsoft Accessibility Checker and address the issues it identifies. Also review the document for clear structure, meaningful links, readable visual content, and appropriate alternative text.
If a PDF version is necessary, address accessibility in the original document before converting it, then review the resulting PDF to make sure those features were preserved.
Recommended approach: Make the original document accessible first and keep it in its native format unless there is a reason to convert it.
What makes a PDF accessible?
An accessible PDF contains searchable text, meaningful document structure, an appropriate reading order, alternative text for meaningful images, and other information that allows assistive technologies to interpret and navigate the document.
Learn More About PDF Accessibility
Accessible PDFs
Learn more about common characteristics of accessible PDFs, including searchable text, document structure, reading order, and alternative text.
OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
Learn how OCR converts scanned text into searchable, machine-readable text.
PDF Tags and Reading Order
Learn how document structure helps assistive technologies navigate PDF content.
Checking PDF Accessibility with Adobe Acrobat
Learn how to check and remediate accessibility issues in existing PDFs.
Determine the Type of PDF
The steps needed to make a PDF accessible depend on how the document was created. Start by identifying the type of PDF you are working with, then follow the recommended approach below.
Existing PDF
Begin with a simple test: try selecting a sentence and searching for a word in the document. If you can do both, the PDF contains recognizable text. This is a good starting point, but it does not mean the PDF is fully accessible.
Use Adobe Acrobat Pro's Accessibility Checker to identify potential barriers, then manually review the document for issues the automated check cannot detect, such as reading order and whether content is presented meaningfully.
Recommended approach: Check the PDF with Adobe Acrobat Pro's Accessibility Checker before adding it to your course, and remediate any barriers that could affect student access.
Scanned PDF
A scanned PDF may contain images of printed pages rather than machine-readable text. This can prevent students from searching the document and create barriers for assistive technologies.
Use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to convert images of text into machine-readable text. OCR is an important first step, but it does not make a document accessible by itself. Review the resulting PDF for accuracy and accessibility before sharing it with students.
Recommended approach: Apply OCR first, then review and remediate the resulting PDF as needed.
Print-Only Material
If an appropriate digital version cannot be found, print material may need to be scanned. Begin with the cleanest original available and create a clear, high-quality scan. Crooked pages, shadows, blurry text, or missing portions of a page can affect both readability and the accuracy of OCR.
After scanning, apply OCR and review the resulting document for accuracy and accessibility.
Recommended approach: Create the best-quality scan possible before applying OCR or beginning accessibility work.
What Is PDF Remediation?
PDF remediation is the process of correcting accessibility barriers in an existing PDF so that assistive technologies can interpret and navigate the document more effectively.
Depending on the document, remediation may include applying OCR, correcting reading order or document structure, identifying headings and lists, adding alternative text, or repairing tables. Not every PDF requires the same amount of work, and starting with a well-prepared source can significantly reduce the amount of remediation needed.
Check and Improve Accessibility
Accessibility checkers can identify many common problems, but automated tools cannot determine whether every part of a document is accessible. Some elements require manual review.
When reviewing a course document, check that:
- Text can be selected and searched.
- Headings clearly identify and organize sections.
- Content follows a logical reading order.
- Meaningful images include appropriate alternative text.
- Tables use appropriate row and/or column headers.
- Links use meaningful text that describes their destination.
- Color or visual formatting is not the only way important information is communicated.
Tools for Preparing Accessible Materials
Selecting the appropriate tool depends on the type of document and the work it needs. You do not need to use every tool listed below; start with the tool that best matches the type of material you are working with.
Although automated tools can help identify and correct many common accessibility issues, always review the resulting material before making it available to students. Detailed instructions for using these tools are available in the Resources section below.
| If you need to... | Start with... |
| Check a Word or PowerPoint document for accessibility | Microsoft Accessibility Checker |
| Review accessibility issues for a document in D2L | YuJa Panorama Accessibility Tools |
| Review or remediate a PDF in greater detail | Adobe Acrobat Pro |
| Convert scanned pages into searchable, machine-readable text | OCR tools in YuJa or Using OCR in Adobe Acrobat Pro |
| Create a digital document from print material | A high-quality document scanner |
Design With UDL in Mind
Universal Design for Learning encourages instructors to anticipate differences among learners and reduce barriers before they interfere with learning.
Selecting an appropriate source, choosing a flexible format, and addressing accessibility during preparation can make course materials more usable for all students while reducing the need to correct problems later.
Share and Maintain Your Course Materials
Once a resource is ready, make it easy for students to find and understand its purpose within the course. Provide any context or instructions students need to connect the material to the course content or learning activity.
Review course materials periodically to make sure links still work, readings remain current, and documents continue to meet accessibility requirements. When updating materials you created, return to the original editable document whenever possible rather than repeatedly modifying a PDF.
Microsoft OneDrive can be used to store original course documents so they are easier to organize, update, and reuse. If students access a document through a OneDrive link, verify that the sharing settings provide appropriate access.
Need Help?
Not sure which format, tool, or approach is appropriate for your course material, or unsure how to make a resource accessible? The Center for Teaching Excellence can help you determine the most appropriate option before you begin.
Contact CTE at teach@siu.edu or 618-453-2258 for assistance.