iCollege Accessibility Getting Started

Ensuring your iCollege course and materials meet accessibility standards benefits all learners, including those with disabilities. This checklist can help you design your iCollege course, course content, and activities to be ADA-compliant and adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Text Content & Links

Structure

Headings are present and used in a logical, hierarchical order (e.g., Heading 1 for the main title, Heading 2 for major sections, Heading 3 for subsections).

Lists (bulleted or numbered) are formatted correctly using list tools rather than manual symbols.

Formatting or Readability

Use sans-serif fonts for clarity (e.g., Arial and Lato).

Font size is at least 12pt (document) or 19px (iCollege).

Avoid using all caps for long text blocks.

iCollege files/pages/documents have sufficient white space and are not overly cluttered.

Abbreviations and acronyms are defined on first use.

Equations or formulas are formatted using an equation or math editor.

Colors

Utilize high contrast between text and background colors. Use a contrast checker to confirm.

Content messages or information must not rely on color alone (e.g., clear in black/white).

Data Tables

Tables are used for data, not for layout.

Tables have logical, linear columns and rows (no merged, split, or nested cells).

Tables have header rows/columns set identifying the information in the cells.

Links

All links are descriptive and meaningful, and accurately indicate their destination (e.g., "Syllabus for ENG 1001" instead of "https://www...").

Generic links like "Click here", "link", or "webpage" are avoided.

Graphical Content & Media

Graphics

All informative images (e.g., charts, graphs, infographics) have alternative text (alt text).

Alt text is brief and conveys the essential information of the image.

Mark purely decorative images as “Image is decorative.”

Complex visuals that can’t be explained in brief alt text should be described in the document body, with a title or caption.

Images are clear when magnified or zoomed and not pixelated.

Audio & Video

Kaltura is recommended for all video/audio files uploaded for use in your course.

All videos have accurate closed captions and transcripts.

All audio-only content (podcasts, lectures, etc.) have transcripts.

Enhanced audio descriptions are provided for videos where visual information is critical.

Supplemental Material & Accessibility Checkers

PDFs

All PDFs are tagged for accessibility, confirmed using the accessibility checker in Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Replace scanned image-only PDFs with accessible, formatted versions.

PowerPoint

Build PowerPoint slides using layouts and Master Slides.

Confirm slide content has an understandable order using the Reading Order Pane.

Accessibility Checkers

Use application-specific accessibility checkers (e.g., Microsoft) before uploading to iCollege.

Use iCollege’s built-in Accessibility Checker on all content created in iCollege.