Creating Accessible Content as a Student

It is important to format digital course resources in a way that is inclusive and accessible to all. The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) has created this page to provide resources and support options to guide students when creating accessible content.  Instructors are encouraged to share this page in their classes. 

If you are a student and have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact the Student Accessibility Support Center, Stony Brook Union Suite 107, (631) 632-6748, or at sasc@stonybrook.edu. They will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.

Accessibility Resources

Below are self-paced resource guides to get you started creating accessible course content. It's best to begin with the “Digital Accessibility Resources Guide” if you are new to digital accessibility.

Printable Guides

Printable versions of all trainings are available to download.

Top 5 Course Content Accessibility Tips

1. Use PDFs only when necessary. Create and share content using Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint) or within a Brightspace page (Create a File).
2. Use university-supported tools (Echo, Zoom) to transcribe videos, and review them for accuracy.
3. Ensure that all images in Brightspace, PowerPoints, etc. have alt text or, if necessary, a longer description. 
4. Run the Accessibility Assistant for all Word and PPT files (It’s under the “Review” section).
5. Check your Ally score for your Brightspace course content.

Recommended SBU Resources

• Mathpix - If you are a teaching assistant or graduate assistant that would like a Mathpix license to remediate digital documents that have mathematical formulas, please fill out the request form. Please note that there are a limited number of licenses. 
• Student Accessibility Support Center (SASC)
• DoIT's Accessibility Tools
• Ally for Accessibility within Brightspace

Additional Accessibility Resources

 Guides

• APA Accessibility Guide - The American Psychological Association (APA) has released a guide on how to make the APA Style accessible (including guidance on hedings, URLS, and color). 

Tools

• Arizona State University's Image Accessibility Generator - Upload images through the generator and it will provide alt text and longer descriptions that you can add and edit in your documents. Note: The site notes that "This tool currently utilizes the GPT-4o model provided by OpenAI. We are using their API platform, which ensures the data sent is not retained or stored to improve their training or models." 
• Deque University's Color Contrast Checker - A free tool by Deque University to check if content meets color contrast requirements. 
• WebAim Color Contrast Checker - A free tool from Web Aim to check if content meets color contrast requirements. 

Articles

• US Department of Education OCR Video Series - A collection of 3-5 min videos  focusing on identifying and remediating barriers to access.
• Accessibility – Access to Formulas in PDF files by Assistive Technologies - Comprehensive TeX Archive Network's (CTAN) guide to making accessible content with LaTeX.
• LaTeX and Accessibility Issues - Michigan State University's Guidance to making accessible content using LaTeX. 
• Describing Musical Examples with Text and Alt Text - University of North Texas has published examples and guidance on how to make musical content accessible with Alt Text. 
• Music Notation Best Practices - University of Michigan has provided guidance on creating accessible music-related content. 

If you have suggestions for additional guides, please reach out by emailing us at celt@stonybrook.edu.