Learning management systems, such as Brightspace, have features that faculty and designers can use to create more accessible learning experiences. MS Office Suite and other programs offer similar features. Use the below guide to learn more about available accessibility checkers.
Brightspace has an Accessibility Checker icon that lives in the lower-right corner of the HTML editor. You can click on the icon to see just how accessible the content is that you've posted for learners.
For more information about Brightspace's Accessibility Checker, go to the Brightspace Community Accessibility Checker page or try the page titled Improve Your Course With Brightspace Accessibility Checker.
The programs in Microsoft's Office suite, including, but not limited to MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, and MS Word, include accessibility checkers, which should be engaged to ensure that content meets general standards.
To activate the accessibility checker in Excel, PowerPoint, and Word, click on the "Review" link in the menu bar. Then click on the button titled "Check Accessibility." A brief report will pop-up on the right-hand side of your screen. If you're using OneNote, click "View," and then click the "Check Accessibility" button. Finally, if you're using Outlook, click "Options," and then click the "Check Accessibility" button.
Please note that the MS Office suite accessibility checkers will not reveal every accessibility issue with a document. However, they serve as a good starting point.
The WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool enables users to test out a website's accessibility. Once you type or cut and paste the website address into search box, WAVE will create a report on the left-hand side of your screen.
The 11 minute and 20 second video below walks you through the process of using WAVE.
If a website has numerous accessibility issues, consider using an alternative site in your course. If a website has some accessibility issues, it's a good practice to identify these limitations in your course's accessibility acknowledgement statement.
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