For Faculty

Is Your Online Course Accessible? Get a Free Accessibility Evaluation!

By Kirsten Morris, Online Accessibility Services

Online education is growing, and more and more courses are being offered in online or hybrid settings. This provides excellent opportunities for students to participate in the changing landscape of higher education. With that change comes a new challenge of making sure that all learners can fully access the content we are offering in these online and hybrid courses. Texas Tech University is required to make all online content and educational materials ADA compliant and accessible to diverse learners.

For many instructors, this is not a process that is unfamiliar but can be intimidating. That is where we come in. The eLearning Accessibility Services at Texas Tech eLearning & Academic Partnerships has a free service providing Accessibility Evaluations for online courses and course materials. The evaluation will provide you with information about any changes that you may need to make to ensure your online course materials are compliant and accessible to all your students, present and future. We also connect you with information, help, and training as needed to make the changes in your course.

Here is the process for getting an Accessibility Evaluation:

1. Fill out an Accessibility Evaluation request, providing us with information about your course and giving permission for us to view your content.
2. You will receive an email response requesting access to the materials you want us to check over.
3. We will look at your materials through using assistive technology and make note of any items that may have accessibility issues.
4. A completed form will be sent to you listing items of concern, linking you to TTU's online accessibility resources, and offering to meet with you to help resolve any issues in your course.

We are ready and excited to assist you in helping all your students access your quality online content. Please contact us with any accessibility questions at elearning.oa@ttu.edu.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in the January 2018 issue of From Anywhere and has been updated for accuracy.