All courses contain digital content – from text and images to videos and interactive elements. As faculty, you play a vital role in ensuring this content is accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. The Digital Accessibility Services (DASH) Team is a great place to start learning about accessible course design.
What is Digital Accessibility?
Digital accessibility means designing and creating content that can be used by everyone, regardless of ability. Students may have various disabilities or situational needs:
- Vision impairments (blindness, low vision, color blindness)
- Hearing impairments (deafness, hard of hearing)
- Motor impairments (difficulty using a mouse or keyboard)
- Cognitive disabilities (learning disabilities, ADHD, dyslexia)
- Situational needs (using a mobile device, slow internet connection, noisy environment)
When you create accessible content, you’re not just helping students with disabilities – you’re improving the experience for everyone.
Accessibility is About People
Digital accessibility is fundamentally about people. Your students are your target audience. Some of them may have disabilities that affect how they interact with course materials. Proactive, inclusive design is the best practice because it ensures all students can engage with your course from day one, rather than requiring accommodations or extra support after the fact.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an evidence-based approach that benefits all learners by building accessibility into your course design from the start. Learn more about UDL at CTL’s UDL resource page.
How to Get Started
You’re not alone! DASH provides guides for specific accessibility topics to help you get started:
- Format text properly using heading structure and semantic markup
- Organize information with accessible lists and bullet points
- Write descriptive alt text for images and visual content
- Create accessible data tables with headers and structure
- Ensure sufficient color contrast and readability
- Write accessible links and buttons with descriptive text
Each guide covers the “why” behind accessibility and provides practical steps you can follow to implement best practices in your course content.
eLC (D2L / Brightspace) Resources
UGA’s learning management system, eLC, is powered by D2L/Brightspace. Both the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and EITS provide support and resources for using eLC effectively and accessibly.
Support and Training at UGA
UGA offers multiple ways to learn about accessibility and get support for your courses.
Faculty Teaching Consultations
The Center for Teaching and Learning offers faculty teaching consultations to help you improve your teaching, including discussions about accessible course design. These consultations are free and confidential.
Professional Development and Training
Explore these resources for professional development in digital accessibility and inclusive teaching:
DASH Tools and Resources
DASH maintains a collection of tools to help with accessibility checking and implementation. Browse the DASH Tools page to find resources like contrast checkers, screen reader testing tools, and more.
Getting help
If you have questions or need assistance, the Digital Accessibility Services Hub (DASH) is available to support colleges, schools, and administrative units as they build sustainable accessibility practices.
- Contact DASH at [email protected] for consultations, training, or technical assistance.
Accessibility is a shared responsibility, and every step you take makes UGA’s digital environment more inclusive.