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Description
Digital Accessibility ensures that all students, including those with disabilities, can access and engage with course materials, learning technologies, and online content. Faculty play a critical role in creating accessible learning environments by designing course content that meets accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1) and supports diverse learning needs.
When to Use
- When creating or updating content in any format (documents, presentations, videos, web pages, etc…)
- When sending or sharing content in any format (documents, presentations, videos, web pages, etc…) through electronic communication platforms (email, social media, portal, web sites, etc…)
- When using third-party platforms or digital tools with staff or students
Training Delivery Method(s)
Improving your Course Accessibility Score (3 hours) – This is a hands-on eLearning workshop where faculty learn practical strategies—like updating PDFs and document headers—to improve their Canvas Ally Accessibility Score and leave with a more accessible course. Please contact eLearning Services for dates/times.
Accessibility Fundamentals (3 hours) – This is a hands-on TTMD workshop that introduces faculty and staff to digital accessibility fundamentals and equips them to create accessible digital content and resources for all users. Please check Cornerstone for dates/times.
Panopto Kickstart - This is a hands-on TTMD workshop that familiarizes faculty and staff with the purpose, interface, and basic functionality of Panopto. Topics include video creation, editing and creating/edition captions. Please check Cornerstone for dates/times.
PowerPoint for All: Designing with Accessibility in Mind (1 hour) - This in-person course is offered by eLearning and TTMD. Faculty and staff will learn how to evaluate and apply institutional accessibility guidelines, use built-in PowerPoint tools like the Accessibility Checker and Alt Text, and design learning materials that support diverse learners.
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Online Synchronous (Teams and Zoom)
Ensuring Accessibility with Ally (1 hour) – This is an online, synchronous eLearning workshop where faculty learn how accessibility and Ally function in Canvas and gain strategies to view and improve their course accessibility score. Please contact eLearning Services for dates/times.
Accessibility Fundamentals (2 hours) - This is an online, synchronous TTMD workshop where faculty and staff learn digital accessibility principles and practical techniques for creating inclusive, accessible Word documents, PDFs, and user experiences. Please check Cornerstone for dates/times.
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On-Demand (self-paced modules)
QM’s Accessibility & Usability Resource Site (AURS) – This is a free QM member resource that guides faculty in addressing key accessibility and usability issues—such as accessible Word documents, PDFs, and YouTube videos—through the Accessibility User Resource Site (AURS). Check out Accessing QM Accessibility and Usability Resources.
Canvas Premium Training Fundamentals of Accessible Digital Content – This is a self-paced Canvas training course that introduces faculty to digital accessibility concepts and best practices, including POUR principles and how to check and apply accessibility across course content. Check out Accessing Canvas Premium Training.
TerminalFour (T4) – This is a self-paced training course on creating accessible content using TerminalFour CMS (Content Management System). This is only for select staff designated to submit content for the College’s website. For new staff requiring access to update contents on the website, training is available through the Communications Web Team and UVS. Please submit Website and Portal Access via askPGCC.
PGCC Digital Accessibility Hub
This website equips you with the knowledge, tools, and support you need to make the digital content you create and share accessible to all members of our community. Whether you’re designing a course, developing web content, creating documents, or planning events, these resources will help you integrate digital accessibility from the start—not as an afterthought.
Ally for LMS Help for Instructors
This website provides step-by-step directions and resources for using Ally to improve accessibility in Canvas.
PGCC Digital Accessibility Concept Videos (Coming Soon)
A series short overview videos addressing the most common challenges in ensuring digital accessibility. Videos include:
- Adding Alt tags to Images
- Adding Headers to Documents
- Adding Headers to Tables
- Making PDFs accessible
- Creating appropriate hyperlink titles
Microsoft 365 Videos
The following short video training provides step by step directions for remediating content in Microsoft 365 applications including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Panopto Video Tutorials
The following short video tutorials covering step by step directions for creating and using smart captioning in Panopto:
USM Remediation Sprints
The Kirwan Center at the University of Maryland developed a series of sprint workshops covering one digital accessibility concept a month that are available to all public institutions in the state of Maryland. Upcoming spring workshops are listed on the page as well as recordings for the prior sprints in the fall. Topics include:
- PDF Practices that Promote Digital Accessibility
- Images & Alt Text
- Color & Contrast
- Links & Navigation
- Headings
- Tables and Data
- Multimedia
Fact Sheet: New Rule on the Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps Provided by State and Local Governments
This site provides information on DOJs (Department of Justice) final rulemaking updating its regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It covers the specific requirements for compliance for all higher education institutions. It includes information on how to ensure that all web content and mobile applications are accessible to all people.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1
WCAG 2.1 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1) are internationally recognized standards from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) for making web content accessible to people with various disabilities, including low vision, blindness, hearing loss, and cognitive impairments. WCAG 2.1 AA is the minimum standard for higher education institutions for compliance.
Have Questions
- Training and content (How-to) questions: eLearning@PGCC.edu (eLearning Services) & ttmd@pgcc.edu (Technology Training and Multimedia Development)
- Technical questions related to access and/or login issues: Technology Service Desk 301-546-0637