Accessibility Resources

Where do I start?

Road to Accessibility

This resource is designed to provide support as you begin your accessibility journey. We’ll walk you through how to evaluate the accessibility of your course and instructional materials, identify common issues, and take action to improve your content. To get started, we recommend following these steps:

Generate your course accessibility score in Canvas and address any issues with course elements.
Ensure images have appropriate alternative (alt) text.
Review and remediate Word documents for accessibility.
Check and address accessibility issues in PowerPoint presentations.
Make your PDFs accessible.
Provide accurate captions for all video content.
Access on-demand and live accessibility CTE training sessions.
Use available TAMU services for added support and expert guidance.

Canvas

Creating in Canvas

This section guides you through how to generate the accessibility score for your Canvas course, identify issues, and remediate them directly within Canvas.

Ally is a tool designed to enhance the accessibility of digital course content. Learn how to enable and use the Canvas Ally Accessibility Report to check, interpret, and improve your course’s accessibility score in alignment with Title II requirements.

Getting started with Ally

Ally provides you with step-by-step guidance to resolve accessibility issues in your course. Learn how to use Ally to fix common problems such as missing alt text, insufficient color contrast, and document structure.

Ally remediation in Canvas

Create and share accessible course syllabi using Simple Syllabus, a university-supported tool built right into Canvas. Simple Syllabus is optional for Fall 2025.

Simple Syllabus

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Additional Resources

Yuja Panorama

Images

Describe it Right – Make Images Accessible

Alternative (alt) text is a brief written description of an image. Adding alt text ensures all students can access the information your images provide. This section offers simple steps and examples to help you add effective alt text.

Learn why adding clear alternative text is essential for making images accessible. This resource offers simple guidelines for writing effective descriptions and handling decorative images.

Images - Alternative text

This video demonstrates how to add alt text to images and objects in Microsoft 365 applications. Learn how to add descriptive alt text to pictures, charts, tables, SmartArt, and other embedded objects.

Adding alt text in Microsoft applications

This flowchart can help you decide whether your image requires alt text or should be marked as decorative. It also provides tips for crafting effective alt text.

Alt text flow chart

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MS Word

Format with Purpose – Create Accessible Word Documents

Accessible Word documents make it easier for all students to read and navigate your content. This section shows you how to use the built-in Accessibility Checker and apply key fixes like proper use of headings, descriptive hyperlinks, and tables.

This short Microsoft tutorial will guide you through how to run accessibility checks in your Word documents and make essential fixes.

Check the accessibility of Word documents

Applying heading styles in Word gives your document a clear structure and makes it easier to navigate. Screen readers use these headings to help users move through content efficiently.

Heading styles

Use descriptive link text so readers know where a link will take them without needing the full URL. Clear, meaningful hyperlinks improve navigation for everyone, especially those using screen readers.

Hyperlinks

Keep tables simple and use built-in table tools to define headers and structure. Accessible tables help screen readers convey information clearly and make data easier to understand.

Tables

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MS PowerPoint

Power Up Your Presentation – Make It Accessible

Accessible presentations ensure your slides can be understood by all students. This section shows you how to use PowerPoint’s Accessibility Checker and apply fixes like adding alt text, setting reading order, and using clear slide titles.

Remediate your existing PowerPoint presentations with step-by-step instructions for using the Accessibility Checker, adding alternative text, setting reading order, and applying slide titles.

PowerPoint remediation guide

Check the reading order of each slide to ensure content is read in the correct sequence by screen readers. Adjusting the order helps students follow your presentation logically and without confusion.

Accessible reading order

Strong color contrast makes text and visuals easier to read, especially for people with low vision or color blindness. Aim for high contrast between text and background to keep content clear and accessible. Here are a few tools that can help you test and improve contrast in your content:

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PDFs

Tag It Right – Make Your PDFs Accessible

Accessible PDFs ensure that all students can read and navigate your documents effectively. This section provides guidance on essential steps such as adding titles, tags, alternative text, and setting the correct reading order.

Follow this TAMU CTE guide to make your PDFs accessible using Guided Actions in Adobe Acrobat Pro. Learn how to add tags, alternative text, and other key accessibility features.

PDF remediation guide

Ensure your PDF files are accessible, screen reader–friendly documents. Follow step-by-step guides to create accessible PDFs from Microsoft source files.

Create accessible PDFs

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Additional Resources

Cheat sheet: PDF remediation

Video Captions

Captions Speak Volumes – Make Your Videos Accessible

Video captions ensure that content is accessible to all learners, not just those who are deaf or hard of hearing. They support focus, different learning preferences, and improve comprehension. This section provides guidance on creating, editing, and checking captions for accuracy.

Learn why accurate captions are essential for accessibility and effective communication. This resource shares tips for creating, reviewing, and improving captions for your videos.

Captions

One way you can add captions to your new or existing videos is by uploading them to YouTube. YouTube can create automatic captions for your videos, but they often need editing. Use YouTube’s tools to review, correct, or upload your own captions for accuracy.

Add captions in YouTube

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CTE Training

Digital Accessibility Trainings

Expand your accessibility skills with on-demand and live training from TAMU CTE. Access practical sessions designed to fit your schedule.

Learn at your own pace with resources that walk you through accessibility best practices. Step-by-step guides, checklists, and demos are available anytime to help you make your course content more accessible.

TAMU CTE Digital Accessibility

Take advantage of these upcoming Zoom sessions for faculty and staff:

Sep 24, 12:30pm – 1:15pm | Creating Accessible Content with Microsoft Word and PowerPoint
Oct 8, 12:30pm – 1:15pm | Enhancing Accessibility of PDF Files
Oct 22, 12:30pm – 1:15pm | Utilizing Canvas to Check for Content Accessibility

And for graduate students:

Sep 23, 1:00pm – 1:45pm | Accessible Word and PowerPoint
Oct 7, 1:00pm – 1:45pm | Accessible PDF
Oct 21, 1:00pm – 1:45pm | Accessible Canvas

For more information, visit TAMU CTE Live Training.

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TAMU Services

TAMU University Accessibility Services

Access university-provided resources and expert assistance to help you meet accessibility standards. This section connects you with the right services for guidance, troubleshooting, and hands-on support.

Explore resources and support from Texas A&M’s IT Accessibility team to help ensure that digital tools, documents, websites, and multimedia are accessible and compliant. Find guidance, checklists, testing tools, procurement tips, and contact information for assistance.

TAMU IT Accessibility Services

University Drop-In Computer Labs are staffed by trained student workers and are available for the Fall 2025 semester:

Mondays, 8am – 5pm in Blocker 125
Tuesdays, 8am – 12pm in HSFB 119X
Wednesdays, 8am – 5pm in the Student Computing Center, Room 4.114
Thursday, 8am – 12pm in HFSB 119X
Fridays, 8am – 5pm in Blocker 125

Your CEHD Instructional Designers are here to support you.

EPSY: Trupti Palkar | trupti@tamu.edu
EAHR: Jere Liu | liu@tamu.edu
KNSM: John Obenchain | jobenchain@tamu.edu
TLAC: Kevin Lawanto | knlawanto@tamu.edu

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Additional Resources

TAMU Technology Services - Digital Accessibility Training

Newsletters

Instruction by Design CEHD Faculty Newsletter

The Instruction by Design newsletter, brought to you by your CEHD Instructional Designers, keeps you informed on Title II requirements and Digital Accessibility guidelines. Each issue offers resources and practical tips to help you create and maintain accessible course materials.