Our Accessibility Goal
Our goal is to continuously improve the accessibility of our courses and learning materials so that all learners can access, engage with, and benefit from the content we provide. We recognize that accessibility is an ongoing process rather than a one-time project. By making thoughtful, incremental improvements during each course review and revision cycle, we can steadily reduce barriers, enhance the learner experience, and move closer to creating learning environments that are accessible and inclusive for everyone.
Progress Over Perfection
Improving accessibility can feel overwhelming, especially when reviewing an entire course. The good news is that meaningful progress does not require completing everything at once.
Focus on steady, sustainable improvements over time. Each course update presents an opportunity to make the learning experience more accessible.
Foundations Curriculum Accessibility Review Process
At the end of each block, the Block Administrators will review all course materials using the Ally and UDOIT accessibility tools in Canvas and share the resulting reports with Block Directors. Block Directors will use these reports to identify opportunities for improvement and develop plans for future accessibility enhancements. During the Lessons Learned: Looking Forward meeting, Block Directors will report on their planned accessibility improvements and next steps.
Resources
Quick guides on creating or updating
- Reading Assignments (e.g. outside links to articles)
- Handouts (cases and study sheets)
- Slide Decks (PowerPoints)
- Course Packs
- Pressbooks
- Images & Diagrams
Other resources
- Refer to Digital Accessibility Quick Cards for a quick start.
- Refer to How to Make Course Materials Accessible for in-depth directions.
- To learn more about accessibility, visit the UW Digital Accessibility page.
- For training, tools, and support, contact the UW Central Accessibility Offices with complex questions.
- Contact your Block/Thread/Theme admin (see the Foundations Directory for contact info) with simple accessibility or process questions.
Accessibility Matters
Creating accessible courses and materials helps ensure that all learners can fully engage with, understand, and benefit from your content. Accessibility is not just about meeting standards or compliance requirements. It is about creating an inclusive learning environment where everyone has an opportunity to succeed.
- Learners with disabilities who rely on assistive technologies
- Learners accessing content on mobile devices
- Individuals with temporary disabilities or injuries
- Non-native speakers and learners with different learning needs
- Everyone benefits from clear organization, captions, readable content, and intuitive navigation