Learn more about Accessibility and Inclusive Design

Inclusive Design (ID) is "Essential for Some, Useful for All" (W3C:WAI.)

Inclusive Design "considers the full range of human diversity with respect to ability, language, culture, gender, age and other forms of human difference." (Source: Inclusive Design Research Centre.)

And the W3C, World Wide Web Consortium, provides us with the standards and guidelines for creating inclusive/accessible digital and web-based content.

Accessibility is important for everyone.

By applying principles of Universal Design (UD) in the creation and delivery of digital and web-based content, we can meet the needs of people with disabilities and greatly improve access for as many people as possible.

For example...

• Captioned videos are essential for those who are Deaf/deaf or hearing-impaired. Captions are also useful to those who may be dyslexic, have ADD/ADHD, or are not familiar with the language spoken in the video.
• The inclusion of headers and bulleted lists in a digital document (e.g., Word, PowerPoint) or webpage (e.g., Canvas, SharePoint, WordPress) are essential for blind or visually-impaired persons using a screen reader to access and navigate content at the page. This type of semantic formatting and organization is also helpful to those who are sighted for making sense of different elements or chunks of content.
• Avoid labeling links as "Click here." Instead, applying meaningful text to links, such as this example, Utilizing Descriptive Text, is helpful for everyone because using specific language provides context and more clearly communicates information to the user about where/what they are clicking to.

User Perspectives: videos by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

• Web Accessibility Perspectives: Explore the Impact and Benefits for Everyone: These 10 short videos (7:36 minutes total) provide insight into varying user perspectives.

IT Accessibility at Evergreen

Our Information Technology Accessibility page includes guidance for creating accessible content and details about Evergreen's Electronic Information Technology Accessibility (EITA) workgroup.

Canvas Guides

• General Accessibility Design Guidelines: This document outlines some general best practices when designing a course for accessibility concerns.

• Accessibility within Canvas: Ensuring an accessible and pleasant experience to all users, regardless of disability, is a key focus of Canvas.

• Creating Accessible Tables in the Rich Content Editor: General guideline: tables should be used for data display, not layout.

Microsoft Guides

• Accessibility help & learning
• Improve accessibility with the Accessibility Checker - available for use with Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote
• Rules for the Accessibility Checker
• Make your content accessible in the Microsoft 365 apps

WordPress Guides

• Accessibility Handbook: Best Practices
• Accessibility Handbook: Quick start guide - how to implement the standards
• Writing Accessible Content by Sami Keijonen

Legislation

• Federal: Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• State: WA State Policy 188