Course Expectations
Texas A&M University is committed to providing an accessible digital learning environment that supports full participation by all members of the Aggie community.
Digital accessibility is a shared responsibility. Faculty and instructors are expected to ensure instructional content meets accessibility requirements in support of the University’s teaching, research, and service mission. See Instructor Resources for strategies for compliance.
Course content is expected to meet digital accessibility standards.
Instructors can meet accessibility obligations under ADA Title II and state law by:
- Using accessible instructional technologies
- Selecting accessible library and publisher resources
- Creating accessible course materials with available tools and templates.
Supported platforms include Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Canvas, and other institutionally supported technologies.
See more about Digital Accessibility regulations.
Texas A&M offers courses, workshops, open labs, and self‑paced resources focused on document accessibility, multimedia accessibility, Canvas content, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Instructors are encouraged to continue improving course access ahead of and through the April 24 compliance deadline. See Instructor Training for more information.
Create Accessible Content
All new and repurposed instructional materials should be accessible, including documents, audio files, and videos.
Instructors should apply accessibility best practices, including proper document structure, alternative text for images, sufficient color contrast, and accessible Canvas pages. Video and audio content should include accurate captions, transcripts, and clear verbal descriptions of visual information.
Tools and Services Available
- Accessibility checkers in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook
- Built‑in accessibility features in Canvas
- Captioning and transcription tools
- Training and consultation from campus support units
See more about our Canvas-integrated tools, YuJa Panorama and Anthology Ally, in Instructor Resources.
Fix Existing Content
Existing materials that will continue to be used should be reviewed and updated for accessibility. Prioritize high‑impact items such as syllabi, slide decks, readings, and Canvas pages.
When possible, link to Texas A&M University Libraries resources instead of uploading files. Librarians can help identify accessible or licensed alternatives. Publisher or third‑party materials uploaded under fair use may be remediated for accessibility for use within a single course.
Remove Unused Content
Ensure all active course materials are accessible. Content no longer in use should be unpublished, removed, or stored outside active Canvas courses. Reducing outdated materials improves usability and minimizes accessibility risks.
Additional Support
Instructors are encouraged to work with their department, college, or designated accessibility contacts for guidance. Campus accessibility teams and teaching support units can help address complex or challenging content.
Instructors must continue to respond to approved accommodation requests and work collaboratively with Disability Resources to ensure timely access.
Did you know?
- In the United States, about 55 million people have a disability (src: 2010 U.S. Census).
- About 1 in 5 Americans have some kind of disability (src: 2010 U.S. Census).
- The percentage of people affected by disabilities is growing as our population ages.
- Two popular, free screen readers are VoiceOver (Mac OS and iOS) and NVDA (Win).
- Good accessibility practices can improve the search ranking of your website.
- Form fields without labels can cause problems for some assistive technology users.
- Low color contrast makes content difficult to see, especially for users with low vision.
- Documents linked on a website need to be accessible too (e.g., PDF and Word files).
- Audio content, like podcasts, need transcripts for deaf or hard of hearing users.
- Online videos should be captioned for deaf or hard of hearing users.
- Using HTML tags correctly is very important for accessibility.
- Descriptive link text helps make a website more accessible. Avoid using "Click here" or "Read more."
- A "screen reader" is an application that reads content aloud to a user.
- There is no "alt tag" in HTML. "Alt" is an attribute used with the img tag.
- HTML uses the alt attribute to provide a text description of an image.
- Alt text should describe an image, if the purpose of the image is to convey information.
- If an image is a link, the alt text for the image should explain where the link goes.
- If an image is only being used for decoration, the alt text should be null (i.e., alt="").
- If a table has headers, using header tags (<th>) will make the table more accessible.
- An accessible website is one that can be navigated and understood by everyone.