Starting April 24, 2026, all active courses need to meet digital accessibility requirements issued by the Department of Justice.
As faculty members, you play a critical role in helping the CCRI meet accessibility standards when you take steps to create and deliver accessible course content.
Below are expectations for course content materials and guidance on how to prioritize your work.
Expectations
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Use Blackboard learning management system and other CCRI-licensed tools like Medial and VoiceThread.
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Select accessible reading materials
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Choose the latest version of textbooks, which are more likely to be compliant
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Shift to web (HTML) versions of assigned readings as much as possible
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Utilize CCRI Library accessibility resources and library liaisons to support your selection of course readings
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Create accessible documents and presentation materials so content is accessible from the start. This includes:
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Your Syllabus
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Assignments & Handouts
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Slide Decks
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Images & Diagrams
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Videos and recorded lectures
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Test your accessibility using Blackboard's accessibility checker
- Use Blackboard's Ally tool to find materials that need updating and to gauge your own progress.
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Collaborate with others when issues are complex or arise through the accommodation process.
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Have legal questions? Ask our ADA Coordinator.
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Wondering how to meet a particular student's needs? Work with our DAS office.
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Need help with CCRI-licensed technology? Request help here.
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Milestones
Updating an entire course to be fully digitally accessible can feel daunting. The Title II Compliance Team has created some suggested milestones for updating courses to keep you on track and help break the work up in to manageable chunks.
Highlights
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Delete outdated digital course materials.
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Select accessible reading material.
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Add alt text or captions for images presented.
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Run accessibility checkers on your files.
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Enable auto captioning in Zoom, Collaborate, Medial, and VoiceThread.
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Review course accessibility checker scores (e.g. Ally in Blackboard) and resolve issues.
More tools and help can be found here.