One of the Core Value areas guiding Case Western Reserve University is Inclusiveness and Diversity. Our Digital Accessibility Policy promotes compliance with relevant local, state, and federal regulations, laws, and guidance.
Here you will be able to find CWRU’s Digital Accessibility resource guides designed to equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to create inclusive digital experiences on campus. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, our guides cover everything from what digital accessibility is to advanced web design principles and multimedia accessibility. With our comprehensive resources, you'll gain the skills and understanding of how to create accessible materials to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability, can fully engage with your digital content.
Check out our resource guides
You can access the resource guides by selecting the arrow to reveal a drop-down of guides. Select the title of the resource guide you want and sign in with your CWRU ID and password to access it.
What is digital accessibility?
This guide breaks down the definitions and provides real-world examples of accessibility on the web, documents, multimedia content, and more.
Web Content Accessibility (WCAG) Guidelines
This guide thoroughly explores the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), detailing the core principles—Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust—to ensure your digital content is accessible and user-friendly for all audiences.
This guide offers an overview of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, providing educators and designers with the tools to create inclusive learning experiences that cater to diverse learning styles and student’s needs.
Introduction to screen readers
This guide introduces screen readers, focusing on the installation and usage of NVDA, a widely used assistive technology.
This guide explores Read&Write, an easy-to-use text-to-speech accessibility program, covering everything from installation to practical usage tips.
This web page, created by University Marketing and Communications, offers comprehensive resources on the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation tool, including links to various web accessibility checkers and an on-campus assistance form.
This guide offers an overview of color contrast, detailing the different types and providing essential resources to check color contrast ratios.
This guide provides clear instructions on adding and editing hyperlinks, along with tips for crafting descriptive and unique links.
This guide explains the importance of alt text and provides how to write alt text through examples from various academic disciplines.
This guide introduces Grackle with instructions on how to download and use it to address common accessibility issues in Google Workspace.
Microsoft Accessibility checker
This guide introduces the accessibility checker in Microsoft Office, detailing how to use it in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to ensure your documents are inclusive and accessible.
Creating accessible headings, lists, and tables in Microsoft Office
This guide provides detailed instructions for creating accessible headings, lists, and tables in Microsoft Office.
PowerPoint accessibility checker
This guide offers practical tips for creating accessible presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint, ensuring your slides are inclusive and engaging.
This guide explores the capabilities of Microsoft Copilot, highlighting how it enhances accessibility by generating alt text, transcribing handwritten documents, and more.
Accessible headings, lists, and tables in Canvas
This guide provides clear instructions for creating accessible headings, lists, and tables in Canvas, ensuring your materials are accessible and well-structured.
Adding captions in Canvas Ally
This guide is your go-to resource for enhancing video accessibility in Canvas Ally, offering step-by-step instructions on uploading videos and integrating captioning.
This guide provides best practices for creating accessible videos, covering features such as captions and descriptive transcripts to ensure inclusivity for all viewers.
This guide explains how to use Echo360 to edit transcripts and apply them as closed captions, ensuring your videos are accessible.
This guide provides clear instructions on how to edit captions using YouTube, ensuring your videos are accessible and engaging.
This guide explains how to create an audio transcript in Zoom and display it as closed captions.
This guide walks you through downloading Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and provides straightforward steps for making PDFs accessible.
This guide outlines the accessibility tools available in Adobe Acrobat Pro and provides a step-by-step workflow for creating accessible PDFs.
Accessible forms in Adobe Acrobat
This guide offers a detailed walkthrough on how to create accessible forms with Adobe Acrobat Pro.
University Marketing and Communication's Digital Accessibility Guidelines
This web page provides an in-depth look at the POUR principles of web content accessibility and other best practices to ensure your digital communications are inclusive and accessible to all.
This guide explains the concept of keyboard accessibility and outlines how to structure your content to be functional for keyboard users.
Code blocks for web developers
This guide highlights the advantages of code documentation and explains the use of anchor links.
This guide emphasizes the significance of creating accessible forms and provides examples of HTML form elements.