What is Accessibility?
Accessibility is the practice of making courses, content, and learning experiences user-friendly for all students. Designing courses with accessibility in mind ensures that every student, regardless of ability, has an equal opportunity to learn and succeed. It’s more than just responding to accommodation requests—it’s about proactively fostering an inclusive and equitable educational environment for all learners.
Designing for accessibility benefits everyone by improving comprehension, collaboration, and student outcomes. Accessible courses also align with Smeal’s commitment to continuous improvement, reflecting AACSB’s Learner Success standards and meeting industry standards set by Quality Matters.
Accessible courses include these key practices (among others):
- Videos have captions
- Hyperlinks use descriptive text (not just pasting the URL)
- Images have alternative (alt) text describing the image
- Documents can be read by a screen reader (this includes scanned documents and PDFs)
- Materials have sufficient color contrast
Why Does it Matter?
Accessibility is not just a legal obligation; it also reflects Penn State’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. The April 2024 US Department of Justice and Department of Education ruling set a timeclock for public institutions to ensure that materials are accessible by April 2026 (in compliance with WCAG 2.2 Guidelines). By meeting these standards, we create an inclusive and equitable environment that empowers every student to succeed.
How Can eLDIG Support You?
The eLDIG team specializes in course accessibility compliance and Universal Design for Learning. This includes the April 2024 Department of Justice (DOJ) ruling regarding WCAG 2.2 standards compliance. We collaborate with faculty to create accessible, engaging learning experiences that meet the diverse needs of our students. Whether it’s through improving digital accessibility, enhancing course materials, or ensuring inclusive design, we’re here to support your teaching and learning goals while ensuring legal compliance and fostering an environment where all students can thrive.