Accessibility

At Mesa Community College we are committed to providing all students equal access to information, learning materials, and technology.

What’s Changed? New Requirement:

The U.S. Department of Justice updated Title II regulations (April 2024) requiring all public colleges to make their web content, course materials, and mobile apps meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards by April 24, 2026.

This page outlines what those changes mean for faculty and how the CTL supports you in reaching compliance.

Why Accessibility Matters

Accessibility benefits everyone. Well-structured, readable, captioned, and navigable materials:

• Reduce barriers for students with disabilities.
• Support diverse learning styles and mobile users.
• Improve overall course quality and student success.

Think of accessibility as good teaching practice – not just compliance.

Title II: What Changed

The 2024 Title II rule now clearly defines digital accessibility requirements for public institutions:

• Colleges must ensure websites, online learning materials, and mobile apps meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
• This applies to all new and updated content; legacy materials must be remediated or made available in accessible formats upon request.
• Compliance deadline: April 24, 2026.
  • Exceptions exist for archived or non-current materials, but all instructional content used with active students must be accessible.

Understanding the WCAG 2.1 AA Expectations for Compliance

What Faculty Should Do Now

1. Use college-supported tools (Canvas > Panorama, UDoIT, Office Checker, Acrobat).
2. Attend CTL workshops and access self-help guides below.
3. Plan ahead – remediation takes time.

Making Content Accessible

Add Alt Text to Images

What Is alt text?

Alternative text (alt text) is a brief description of an image that conveys its essential content and function. It is read by screen readers for users who cannot see the image and is displayed when an image fails to load.

Benefits students who…

• Have a form of cognitive disability
• Are blind or have low-vision
• Have poor contrast vision
• Have limited Internet access or data plan and cannot download images

Writing Effective Alt Text

• Describe the image’s purpose, not just its appearance. Focus on what the image communicates or adds to the surrounding content.
• Be concise but meaningful. Aim for one to two sentences or fewer, unless the image is complex
• Avoid redundant phrases. Do not start with “image of,” “photo of,” or “graphic of”—screen readers already announce images.
• Include essential context. If the image supports key content, explain its relevance or message (e.g., “Students collaborating in a lab” rather than “Four people in a room”).
• Describe data and relationships for complex visuals. For graphs, charts, or infographics, summarize the main trend or finding, not every data point. For graphs, provide an alternative somewhere else.
• Use neutral, objective language. Avoid subjective or emotional descriptions unless that’s the image’s purpose (e.g., “protester raising fist in anger” if conveying emotion matters).
• Do not include file names or credits. Keep alt text focused on the content itself.
• Use decorative or purely aesthetic images. For images that add no informational value, use alt="" or mark them as decorative in your editor.
• Integrate accessibility with content flow. Avoid repeating the same information in captions and alt text

Image Example	Alt Text Examples
	Bicyclist. Man riding bike. 18th Century Man riding Bicycle.

Alt Text for Assessment Images

Your alt text should describe the type of image and what students are expected to do while not including the actual answers.

• Describe what the image shows generally (the subject and what’s visible).
• State the task students are expected to perform (e.g., identify, label, select).

Examples: “Illustration of a human arm showing several labeled muscles. Students are asked to identify specific muscles based on the diagram.” or “Map of South America with major rivers highlighted. Students must identify the river indicated by the arrow.”

Color Contrast

Color contrast refers to the difference in brightness (luminance) and color between text or visual elements and their background. Adequate contrast is essential because it allows users with low vision, color blindness, or other visual impairments to distinguish content clearly. When contrast is too low, text and graphics can blend into the background, making information difficult – or even impossible – to read. Ensuring proper color contrast improves readability, reduces eye strain, and promotes equal access to information for all users, regardless of their visual ability or viewing conditions (such as glare or small screens).

Benefits students who…

• Have low vision or poor contrast vision
• Have a form of color blindness
• Use a monochrome display
• Print content in grayscale

Apply these to text, buttons, banners, images with text, and graphics.

• Meet required contrast ratios
  • Normal text: at least 4.5:1 contrast with background.
  • Large text (18pt+ or 14pt bold+): at least 3:1.
  • Icons and essential graphical elements: at least 3:1.
• Don’t rely on color for displaying meaning. Consider formatting styles (bold, etc.)
• Avoid problematic combinations (especially red/green, blue/purple) without additional cues.
• Use tested color sets that pass WCAG contrast requirements. Use the WebAIM Contrast Checker.
• When placing text over photos or video, use a solid or semi-opaque background to ensure readable contrast.
• Different data series are distinguishable using patterns, labels, or shapes, not just different colors.
• Save HEX/RGB codes for approved accessible colors for consistent use across your site.

Headings & Text Styles

Headings and text styles are essential for structure, navigation, and accessibility.
They help all users, including those using screen readers, understand how content is organized and move quickly to the sections they need.

• Provide structure: Headings create a clear, hierarchical outline that organizes information from most to least important.
• Support navigation: Screen reader users can jump between headings to scan or skip content just like sighted users do visually.
• Enhance readability: Consistent heading levels make long pages easier to follow and visually digest.
• Improve usability: Assistive technologies rely on headings to interpret page structure and meaning.

Benefits students who…

• Have a form of cognitive disability
• Are blind or have low-vision
• Are scanning to review specific content (i.e. everyone)

Best Practices for Headings and Styles

• Use true heading styles (H1–H6) in WordPress or your editor – don’t just bold or enlarge text.
• Start with one H1 per page (usually the title).
• Use H2 for main sections, and H3–H4 for sub-sections.
• Maintain a logical order – don’t skip levels (e.g., don’t jump from H2 to H4).
• Keep headings short, descriptive, and meaningful (they should make sense even out of context).
• Use paragraph styles (Normal text, Quote, List) for body content to maintain consistency and proper reading order.
• Avoid using headings purely for visual effect—style text through themes or CSS, not heading tags.

Descriptive Links

We don’t often give thought to adding hyperlinks in our course content pages. However, there is an art to creating them for the benefit of everyone. Descriptive links use meaningful, concise text that clearly indicates the purpose or destination of the link. They help all users – especially those using screen readers or keyboard navigation – understand what the link is and where the link will take them before clicking. This matters for several reasons:

• Provide clarity: Users should know exactly what to expect when activating a link without needing surrounding text.
• Support accessibility: Screen readers often list all links on a page – links like “click here” or “read more” lose meaning when read out of context.
• Enhance usability: Clear, specific links improve navigation and reduce confusion for all users.
• Promote trust: Transparent, descriptive links help users feel confident that they’re navigating safely and purposefully.

Benefits students who…

• Have a physical disability
• Have a form of cognitive disability
• Are deaf or hard of hearing
• Are blind or have low vision
• Don’t have the software to open a file

Best Practices for Descriptive Links

• Use specific and informative text that describes the link’s destination or action. Example: “View the Mesa+ Accessibility Standards” instead of “Click here.”
• Keep link text short but meaningful (aim for 3–7 words when possible).
• Ensure each link makes sense out of context (screen readers often present links in a list).
• Avoid repeating the same link text for different destinations.
• Don’t use URLs as visible text unless necessary or already known (www.maricopa.edu); instead, embed links in natural language.
• If linking to a document or media file, indicate the type and size when appropriate. Example: “Download the Accessibility Checklist (PDF, 120 KB).”
• For visual design, ensure link color and underline contrast meet accessibility standards.

Example:

YuJa Panorama (Canvas Accessibility Tool)

Panorama automatically scans your Canvas courses for accessibility issues and provides:

• Accessibility Scores for files, pages, and media.
• Fix Guides with step-by-step remediation instructions.
• Alternative Formats (e.g., audio, ePub, braille-ready).

Panorama Guide: Fixing Issues
Watch: Intro to Panorama
Visit the many Yuja Guides for Instructors and Students on the MCC Intranet

Videos in Canvas Studio

Canvas Studio makes it easy to create, caption, and share video content that meets accessibility standards. Here’s how to ensure your videos are accessible:

• Use Auto-Captions and Edit for Accuracy
  • Every video uploaded to Studio automatically generates captions using speech recognition.
  • Always review and edit auto-captions to correct names, technical terms, and punctuation.
  • Captions should be ≥ 99% accurate for compliance.
• Add Descriptive Titles and Summaries
  • Provide a meaningful title (e.g., “Week 3 Lecture: Memory and Learning”) rather than “Lecture 3.”
  • In the video description, include a brief overview or transcript link if available.
• Ensure Good Audio Quality
  • Record in a quiet space and use an external microphone when possible.
  • Clear audio improves caption accuracy and comprehension for all learners.
• Provide Alternative Formats When Possible
  • For key lectures or instructions, offer a downloadable transcript or PDF outline.
  • Use your Canvas page text area to summarize key points from the video.
• Embed Videos Correctly
  • Use the Studio embed button inside Canvas pages, assignments, or discussions.
  • Avoid linking directly to external video files that may lack captioning or accessibility features.
• Check Color and Visuals
  • Ensure on-screen text contrasts with the background.
  • Avoid using color alone to convey meaning (e.g., red = wrong, green = right).

Documents

Most of the content that is created directly within Canvas is considered accessible. However, materials (Presentations, PDFs, etc.) created in external tools, such as Microsoft Office and Adobe PDFs, should be verified for accessibility.  The following resources can get you started in making your files accessible.

Adobe Acrobat and PDF Accessibility
Microsoft Accessibility

Recommendation:
Because Canvas is already accessible, create your assignment description and instructions in the rich content editor within Canvas to ensure accessibility.  Uploading a Word document will require further intervention to verify accessibility.

Microsoft Office & Google Docs

• Use Accessibility Checkers (found under Tools → Check Accessibility).
• Always use built-in styles for headings and lists.
• Add alt text to all visuals.

Other Tools

• UDOIT Accessibility Checker
• Adobe Acrobat Accessibility Checker
• Make Google Docs more accessible

External Links & Tools

Tools

Be selective in your external tools to make sure they meet accessibility requirements. Although you are not responsible for a product’s accessibility standards, you are responsible for picking the product for instruction. Check the technologies accessibility website before incorporating them into assignments, content delivery, etc. Such examples include publisher homework sites, Vet software, web tools, survey programs, etc. Provide alternatives for any products selected that are not accessible.

Example:

Prezi is not accessible so if you are going to use it, provide an accessible PowerPoint.

Tables

There are two different tables used in making course materials: data and layout tables. It is important to consider accessibility when creating tables so that screen readers and other accessibility software can make sense out of the material. Generally you want to use tables only when it is essential for conveying content. Tables for ensuring design are not ideal. If you do use a table be certain to include:

Here are some quick guides:

1. Use row and column headings – this is how screenreaders navigate the table.
2. Include a table caption so the user knows what the table is about.
3. Keep it simple! Do not create unnecessary rows and columns as screen readers will read every column and row whether they are being used for content or not. This can be very confusing. It’s best to AVOID layout tables!
4. Make sure that data is tabular by putting information in a logical order in the table. Screen readers will ignore the table and move from left-to-right on a page. So what makes sense to a visual reader in a table may not make sense read out loud by a screen reader.

Example:

Here is a model of how a screen reader will interpret text/images in a table.

1 – Week	2 – Assignments	3	4 – Due Date
5 – Week 1	6 – Planning for a successful semester	7	8
9	10 – Must complete a goal statement	11	12 – January 5

A screen reader will interpret the content from left to right like this: “Week Assignments Due Date Week 1 Planning for a Successful Semester Planner Image Must Complete a Goal Statement January 5.” Consider the usability of your table from left-to-right to make the content readable for all learners.

Be Proactive

It is important to recognize that there is no way to foresee every need that may arise in a class, but being proactive will make your teaching experience much more rewarding as you work with people with disabilities. Try to find tools and supplements that are accessible to all students.  If you would like help in determining if a tool or application is accessible please contact us in the CTL.

Be Transparent

100% compliance is nearly impossible in a large educational system. Being committed to trying goes a long way. Consider communicating to your students that you are committed to accessibility. Consider, in your Getting Started module a “Commitment to Accessibilty” statement. Here is an example to use:

Committment to Accessibility

This course uses several technology tools to support your learning, including Canvas, Google Docs, Edpuzzle, Canvas Studio, and YouTube. Each of these tools is developed with accessibility in mind and strives to meet WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508 standards.

If you use assistive technology and experience any accessibility barriers with these tools or course materials, please contact me right away so we can explore alternative options that provide equitable access. You may also reach out to Mesa Community College’s Disability Resources & Services (DRS) office for additional support and formal accommodations.

Accessibility statements for each technology used in this course are provided below:

• Canvas Accessibility StatementLinks to an external site.
• Google Workspace AccessibilityLinks to an external site.
• Edpuzzle AccessibilityLinks to an external site.
• Canvas Studio AccessibilityLinks to an external site.

Additional Resources

• Mesa Community College Course Accessibility Checklist
• Mesa Community College Disability Resource Services – Faculty & Staff Resources
• Mesa Community College Accessible Syllabus is SimpleSyllabus
• Mesa Community College UDOIT Guide
• Yuja Panorama Guides (MesaCC log in required)
• Accessibility Training by Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction