Digital accessibility ensures everyone can perceive, understand, navigate and interact with information on the internet, regardless of ability. At Case Western Reserve University, this means our websites, social media accounts, applications and content available online—including images, videos and documents—need to meet specific guidelines relating to how elements look, sound and interact.
Accessible online content provides an equal experience for those with visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive and neurological disabilities or impairments. Often, people using the web or web applications need to use assistive devices, so our websites and other online content must be built properly for those devices to access all the information correctly.
But accessibility makes for a better experience for everyone. An accessible and flexible website, for example, will help people with slow internet connections, those with temporary injuries such as a broken arm, or older adults.
The standards for web accessibility apply to everything we create online, including elements that users do not directly see, hear or interact with. No matter your role, you can play a part in ensuring we create a campus culture that promotes equal access to all members of our community.
Grackle is a service that checks content accessibility within Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
A collection of guidelines, FAQs, and resources for Digital Accessibility at Case Western Reserve University.
Ally for Canvas is a service that checks content accessibility within Canvas and provides alternative file formats.
This self-guided training provides resources to support faculty and staff getting started with digital accessibility.