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.
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 for Students
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.
Digital Accessibility
Resource Guide
This short self-paced guide reviews tips, strategies, and general resources for making your course content more accessible.
Picking the Best Format for Content
This guide shows when it’s best to present information in a PDF or a Word document.
Brightspace
Resource Guide
This self-paced guide reviews Brightspace’s Accessibility tools and best practices for delivering content on the LMS.
Google Resource Guides
Find trainings to develope accessible Google content.
Microsoft Resource Guides
Find trainings to develop accessible Microsoft content.
PDF
Resource Guides
Learn how to remediate PDFs to be accessible.
Language Settings
Determine if the proper language settings are being used and how to adjust settings in multilingual documents.
Long Descriptions
Understand what long descriptions are, when to include them in your content, and how to format them.
Navigating Rise Self-paced Guides
New to Articulate Rise's self-paced courses? Learn how to navigate and use our guides accessibly.
Video Guides
Learn how to make videos accessible using university-supported tools.
VoiceThread
Learn how to create accesible VoiceThread slides and comments.
Web Accessibility
Review simple steps to check if a webpage is accessible.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Discover the ways that Universal Design for Learning contributes to a more accessible learning environment.
Video Guides
Learn how to make videos accessible using university-supported tools.
Web Accessibility
Review simple steps to check if a webpage is accessible.
Printable Guides
Printable versions of all trainings are available to download.
Top 5 Course Content Accessibility Tips
If you’re getting started making your course content accessible, these are the five best ways to get started:
- Use PDFs only when necessary. Create and share content using Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
- Use university-supported tools (Echo, Zoom) to transcribe videos, and review them for accuracy.
- Ensure that all images in Brightspace, PowerPoints, etc. have alt text or, if necessary, a longer description.
- Run the Accessibility Assistant for all Word and PPT files (It’s under the “Review” section).
- Use the built-in tools of your software to create headings, lists, columns, etc...
Recommended SBU Resources
Stony Brook University has a variety of resources for accessibility for website and student support.
Additional Accessibility Resources
- US Department of Education OCR Video Series - A collection of 3-5 min videos focusing on identifying and remediating barriers to access.
- 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.
- Deque University's Color Contrast Checker - A free tool by Deque University to check if content meet's color contrast requirements.
- WebAim Color Contrast Checker - A free tool from Web Aim to check if content meets color contrast requirements.
If you have suggestions for additional guides, please reach out by emailing us at celt@stonybrook.edu.
