Prioritize Accessibility Efforts
Making everything accessible doesn't have to happen all at once. Start with what matters most.
Whether you are working in Blackboard, reviewing departmental resources, or remediating a document, the accessibility process can feel daunting. Attempting to make everything accessible at once can lead to cognitive overload and mental fatigue, creating an overwhelming start to your accessibility journey. Instead, prioritize. Follow these 5 steps to get started!
1. Decide What to Prioritize
Think about the materials people need to access and navigate your content. Then, consider which materials are most important for understanding information, completing tasks, or participating in services and activities. These priorities may vary depending on your role and the content you manage, but some common priorities include:
- Syllabi and course overview information
- Assignments, instructions, and required readings
- Lecture documents, presentations, and training materials
- Assessments, forms, and surveys
- Required video and audio content
- Frequently accessed documents and webpages
2. Focus on Current Needs
If you have limited time, start with the content that you are currently using or preparing to share. You don’t need to review every document, course, or resource you have ever created. Instead, work through your content on a need-by-need basis. Starting with current needs gives you time to make additional content accessible as you go.
- For faculty, this may mean focusing on courses you are currently teaching or preparing to teach. If you are short on time, start with the first two or three modules. What content will your students encounter first?
- For staff, this may mean prioritizing frequently accessed documents, forms, webpages, or materials needed for upcoming events and activities.
3. Clean Up Your Content First
Do you have documents that are no longer used? How about the same file saved or uploaded in multiple locations? One of the easiest ways to reduce your accessibility workload is to stop holding onto content that you no longer need. Before remediating every file, look for:
- Duplicate files or old versions of documents
- Outdated readings, resources, or supplemental materials
- Materials accidentally copied over from a previous course or project
- Documents that can be replaced with links to a digitally accessible version, such as library permalinks or external webpages
Removing unnecessary content simplifies navigation for everyone and results in fewer documents that you need to review for accessibility.
Tip: If you have downloaded an article from the UND library system's database, consider replacing the uploaded copy with a permalink. Permalinks offer an alternative to sharing inaccessible documents. Rather than maintaining a separate document, you can link learners directly to the library's accessible version of the resource.
4. Provide the Source Document
When possible, provide content in its original source file rather than creating an additional file from it (such as a PDF from a Word document). Editing for accessibility is typically easier in the source file, and exporting content to different file types may introduce additional accessibility barriers.
Some content, particularly PDFs and Excel spreadsheets, may be easier to make accessible when provided in a different format, such as Word or PowerPoint. Before sharing these files, consider whether another file format would be better suited for your content.
Tip: Download and keep a copy of the source file for all content you create. This makes future edits and accessibility updates much easier.
5. Complete Your First Accessibility Review
Once you have decided where you want to start, put that plan into practice by completing your first accessibility review. Set aside 30 minutes to an hour for your first attempt. The goal of this first review is not to fix everything. Instead, use this time to identify the types of content you work with, familiarize yourself with potential accessibility issues, and determine where to focus your efforts.
Start by selecting one or two representative documents that you use regularly. Then, open them in their original programs to review. You can use the program's accessibility checker to identify potential issues.
- For faculty, Blackboard Ally can provide a starting point for reviewing course content. Review the guidance Ally provides for your selected documents. What issues does it identify? Are there accessibility terms or concepts you need to learn more about?
- For staff, begin with a document, presentation, webpage, or other digital resource you regularly create or manage.