Office of Academic Innovation

Digital accessibility for PSU faculty

Students rely on the digital materials you share in your teaching—from readings and slides to assignments and videos. Making these materials accessible helps students read, navigate, and use them independently so they can participate fully in your course.

PSU’s deadline to meet the updated federal digital accessibility requirements is April 26, 2027. As a PSU faculty member, you are responsible for making the digital materials you share or assign accessible, whether you teach in person, online, or both. This includes checking and updating existing materials and building accessibility into new ones. The Office of Academic Innovation is here to help you understand what needs attention and work through the changes.

 

What the federal requirements mean for your teaching

In 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice updated its Title II rule for accessible web content and mobile apps provided by public entities, including public universities. The rule names the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA as its technical standard. The deadline to comply with the rule is April 26, 2027.

Accessibility is a shared university responsibility; PSU’s Digital Accessibility Responsibility Matrix and Digital Accessibility Roadmap show how PSU is organizing its work.

Your Role in Digital Accessibility

Faculty at Portland State University need to check and update existing digital course materials and build accessibility into new ones:

Review and update existing materials
Check the materials you already use for accessibility barriers and address the issues you find.

Create accessible materials
Build accessibility into new documents, slides, Canvas content, and media. Check them before sharing with students.

Materials covered by the requirements

PSU’s digital course materials must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA, the accessibility standard named in the updated federal rule. Digital course content includes:

  • Canvas content: Pages, assignments, discussions, and files you upload.
  • Textbooks: Digital textbooks students use for coursework.
  • Audio and video: Materials you record, assign, or share with students.
  • Documents and slides: Syllabi, readings, handouts, PDFs, Word or Google documents, presentations, and spreadsheets.
  • Course technologies: Apps, publisher platforms, and other digital tools students need to use for coursework.

Getting started: Key steps for faculty

You can make meaningful progress by working through materials in the order students will need them. The university’s Digital Accessibility Remediation Prioritization matrix recommends a sequenced approach to remediation:

  1. Start with your upcoming course. Identify the syllabus, assignments, weekly Canvas pages, readings, and media students will use first. Focus on current and frequently reused materials as you plan future terms.
  2. Check what you already have. Use Panorama in Canvas for Canvas pages and uploaded files, and Grackle for Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets. Review materials that these tools cannot check, too.
  3. Fix barriers and build better habits. Use real headings, descriptive links, alt text, readable documents, and accurate captions as you create or update materials.
Accessible Teaching Guide for PSU Faculty about A landing page for the Accessibility in teaching and learning introduction for faculty resource
Accessibility Remediation Worksheet about Accessibility worksheet screenshot

Tools and guides for creating accessible materials

Accessibility work is most manageable when it matches how you already teach. Start with the pathway that fits your materials.

canvas landing page against a red background

Canvas pages and uploaded files

Review your Canvas content and uploaded files using the accessibility checklist. 

Use Panorama to identify and fix many issues, then follow the checklist to check materials it cannot evaluate, including quizzes and most external content.

Google slides presentation, with the Portland State University branding

Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets

Review your documents, slides, and spreadsheets using the accessibility guides. 

Use Grackle, a Google Workspace add-on, to identify issues and work through fixes, then follow the guides to check your materials beyond the tool’s findings.

Kaltura MediaSpace and Youtube browsers against a purple background

Video and audio

Review your videos for accurate, synchronized captions and your audio recordings for transcripts. 

Follow the audio and video accessibility guide to check that students can access information conveyed through sound and visuals, including audio descriptions where needed.

Training and faculty support

A welcome page for the Instructional Digital Accessibility Training with a colorful green background and figures using digital tools.

Take the Instructional Accessibility Training
A landing page for the Accessibility in teaching and learning introduction for faculty resource

Accessible teaching resources
faculty support

Request a department workshop or visit
Digital accessibility Credly badge for faculty at Portland State University

Earn an accessible teaching credential
faculty talking with support staff at the Office of Academic Innovation

Get personalized support for your questions

The PSU faculty support desk is here to answer your accessibility questions as you remediate your course materials and learn how to build accessible courses and course materials moving forward. We can look at your course materials with you–reach out to schedule a consult!

Book an accessibility consult

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is the deadline, and what standard applies?

PSU’s compliance deadline under the updated Title II web and mobile accessibility rule is April 26, 2027. The rule adopts WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard. PSU’s accessible digital design standard also applies to digital resources designed and managed on behalf of the university.

Does this apply if I teach in person?

Yes, if students use digital materials in your course. An in-person class might still include a Canvas site, a PDF syllabus, shared slides, videos, or an online homework platform. Start with the materials students need to participate in your class.

Do I need to fix every old file in Canvas right now?

Reference and archived content created before April 26, 2027, that is no longer being accessed or used to participate in PSU services, programs, or activities, should be archived.

If Panorama gives my course a high score, is everything accessible?

No. Panorama can point out many issues, but it cannot evaluate every item or judge whether all content makes sense when used with assistive technology. Review its findings, check content outside its scope, and ask for help when an issue needs a closer look. See what Panorama does and does not evaluate.

How is digital accessibility different from a student accommodation?

Digital accessibility means creating course materials so students can use them without first having to request an individual change. The Disability Resource Center (DRC) coordinates accommodations for individual students. Faculty need to support those accommodations and make digital course materials accessible. Learn how to support students with DRC accommodations.

Are all textbooks digital and physical required to be accessible?

If PSU acquires a digital textbook through a publisher contract, the contract should require the textbook to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. For digital textbooks acquired outside a contract, instructors should check the publisher’s conformance statement for the specific title before adding it to a course. If no statement is available, the instructor may need to choose another text, make the text accessible, or, in rare cases, provide an alternate version that meets the standards.

Physical textbooks do not have to meet these guidelines. However, if a student with a disability requests a digital version, the university must provide an accessible one. If you have questions about a course text, we strongly recommend consulting the Office of Academic Innovation and the Disability Resource Center.

What if a publisher platform or other required tool is inaccessible?

Let OAI know which tool students must use and what barrier you have found. We can help connect you with the right campus partners; PSU’s accessible digital procurement standard explains institutional responsibilities for selecting technologies. If a student reports an access barrier, respond promptly and use PSU’s accessibility inquiry process as appropriate.

What if a library ebook or database article is inaccessible?

Use the PSU Library Accessibility Form to report the item and ask about options. You can also contact OAI if you need help planning an accessible course activity while the issue is addressed.