Accessible Digital Content

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Why it works

The digital materials teachers create, documents, slides, PDFs, videos, web pages, often contain barriers that exclude students who use screen readers, have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, or process text differently: images without alt text, videos without captions, poor structure and contrast, inaccessible PDFs. Making content accessible, adding alt text, captions, and transcripts, using clear heading structure and sufficient contrast, writing readable text, and checking accessibility, ensures all students can use the materials, and benefits everyone (in the spirit of UDL). It is a learnable set of habits, not a specialist task.

The research: Digital accessibility standards (WCAG); UDL.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: make your content accessible

Teachers leave having made one piece of content accessible, and a habit to keep.

Take a piece of digital content you use (a doc, slides, a video).
Add alt text, captions, and transcripts where needed.
Use clear heading structure, good contrast, and readable text.
Check its accessibility and build the habit.

Accessible content opens doors for everyoneAlt text, captions, clear structure, and readable design ensure every student can use your materials, and help everyone. Build accessibility into how you create content.

Facilitator notes

Add alt text and captions, and use clear structure and contrast.
Write readable text, and check accessibility.
It is a habit, not a specialist task.

Inaccessible content quietly shuts students outImages without alt text, uncaptioned video, and poor structure exclude students. Build accessibility into your content so every student can use it.

Adapt it

Elementary and secondary: the same habits.
All settings: alt text, captions, structure, contrast, readable.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Accessible Content: open doors

Include every student: alt text, captions and transcripts, clear structure and contrast, and readable text.

The digital content I will make accessible:
The alt text, captions, and transcripts to add:
The structure, contrast, and readability to fix:
How I check accessibility:
A habit to build into creating content:

Make it stick

Open doors:

Build accessibility in.
Check your content.
Bring an accessible-content habit to the next PLC.

Common questions

Isn't accessibility the tech department's job?

Creating accessible content is a teacher habit, not just a specialist task. Alt text, captions, clear structure, and readable design are learnable and ensure all students can use your materials.

What are the key things to do?

Add alt text to images, captions and transcripts to video and audio, use clear heading structure and good contrast, write readable text, and check accessibility. These cover most needs.

Doesn't this only help a few students?

It is essential for some and helps everyone (captions, clear structure, readable design benefit all), the UDL principle. Accessibility is good design, not a niche add-on.