5 Ways to Create “Born Accessible” Course Materials

As UMBC continues strengthening digital accessibility across teaching and learning, many faculty have already taken steps to reduce, remake, and remediate existing documents, videos, and course resources. However, the most sustainable opportunity to support digital accessibility is to design new materials that are born accessible from the start, or "created in a way that allows people with disabilities to read content from the get-go, without retrofitting or reengineering (Benetech, 2017). 

Here are five practical strategies to help you create accessible course materials from day one.

1. Start with Structure, Not Style

Clear structure is the backbone of accessibility. Using built-in features in available platforms, such as headings, lists, paragraph styles, and slide layouts, allows screen readers and assistive technologies to interpret content correctly, in the exact order you intended it to be presented. These tools include Office 365, Google Workspace, Blackboard, and Sites.

Try this:

• Apply Heading styles in hierarchical order instead of manually adjusting font size to create sections.
• Use real bullet or numbered lists rather than typed dashes or tabbed text to organize content.
• When creating presentations, choose provided slide layouts instead of drawing your own text boxes.

Good structure ensures your documents and slides remain accessible no matter how they are exported or shared.

2. Use Meaningful Text Alternatives for Images

Images, charts, infographics, and icons must communicate their purpose to students who cannot perceive visual information. Alt text should describe meaning, not appearance.

Ask yourself:Why is this image here? What should students learn from it?

• For simple images, include 1-2 concise sentences of functional alt text. 
• For complex charts or diagrams, offer a short summary in the text and provide a longer description nearby (such as a caption) or as an optional linked resource. 
• If an image is decorative, mark it as decorative so assistive technologies skip it. Just don't use the decorative tag to avoid describing an image because that's not fair to students who need the information.

Intentional text alternatives reduce barriers and improve clarity for all learners. It not only ensures we meet ADA requirements, but it's just good communication.

3. Choose Accessible File Formats and Templates

The formats you choose can open doors -- or accidentally close them.

• Create content directly in Blackboard Ultra. Leverage the formatting tools in Ultra Documents and the rich text editor in Announcements, Tests, Assignments, and Discussions. Ultra is accessible by design so it's really hard to create inaccessible content!
• Create with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, HTML, or Google Docs as native content when possible; these formats support accessibility features more reliably than PDFs. It's also far easier to fix the original file than retrofit a PDF.
• If you must create a PDF, generate it from a structured, accessible source file rather than scanning or exporting flattened text.
• Consider using UMBC-approved accessible templates for syllabi, slides, and course documents.

Starting with the right format reduces the need for time-consuming repairs later when evaluating your documents using the 3-R framework.

4. Ensure Your Multimedia Works for Every Learner

Accessible multimedia goes beyond checking the "captions" box.

• Use captions for all videos. Automated captions are improving, but always review for accuracy and make corrections to avoid egregious errors in spelling and content.
• Provide transcripts when appropriate, especially for audio-only materials or longer lectures.
• Consider brief audio descriptions if essential visual information is not spoken aloud.

Tools like YuJa and Blackboard's updated video recorder for announcements and grading feedback make captioning easier than ever, and UMBC's accessibility resources can guide you through quality checks.

5. Build Courses with Flexibility and Clarity in Mind

Born-accessible materials align naturally with Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

• Offer multiple ways for students to access information (text, visuals, short video explanations).
• Use descriptive link text such as "Download the syllabus (PDF)" rather than "Click here."
• Keep navigation predictable with consistent module structures and clearly labeled activities.

These practices help all students -- whether they use assistive technologies, learn in non-traditional environments, or simply benefit from clearer design. Doing so not only supports UMBC's commitment to equitable learning under updated federal accessibility requirements, but also saves time, reduces future remediation, and improves the learning experience for every student.

Ready to take the first step? Visit UMBC's Digital Accessibility site or run an Ally course report today. Support is also available from Student Disability Services and Instructional Technology.

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