Accessibility Trainings and Resources
As part of our Department's commitment to supporting the APSU community in creating more accessible digital learning environments, this page provides training and resources on digital accessibility, with a focus on practical application in course design.
The Digital Accessibility Basics Series
This four-session series on digital accessibility builds on the Fall 2025 synchronous training and provides a practical foundation for creating more inclusive course materials. The sessions will introduce you to:
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The new ADA technical requirements taking effect in April 2026
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actionable strategies for improving accessibility in commonly used tools, including Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and D2L
Designed with instructional workflows in mind, the series emphasizes both why accessibility matters and how to apply best practices in everyday course design.
What Faculty Need to Know
This session provides a high-level overview of digital accessibility basics for faculty, including the purpose of accessibility, upcoming ADA updates, and WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards as they apply to instructional content. Faculty will explore common accessibility considerations, available tools and campus resources, and a practical framework for tackling accessibility in their course materials.
Accessibility in Microsoft Office
This session provides a practical overview of digital accessibility in the Microsoft Office Suite, with a focus on Word and PowerPoint. Faculty will learn how to use built-in accessibility checkers to identify and remediate common issues, understand which concerns require manual review, and connect accessibility feedback to relevant WCAG 2.1 Level AA criteria. The session emphasizes best practices for creating and revising instructional documents and slides with accessibility in mind.
Accessibility in Adobe Acrobat Pro
This session provides a practical overview of digital accessibility in Adobe Acrobat Pro, focusing on how to evaluate and remediate PDF documents for accessibility. Faculty will learn how to use the built-in accessibility checker, apply and correct tags, confirm reading order and color contrast, add alternative text, and address common issues such as tables, headings, and document metadata. The session emphasizes best practices for creating accessible PDFs and knowing when alternative formats may be more effective.
Accessibility in D2L Brightspace
This session provides a practical introduction to digital accessibility in HTML within D2L Brightspace, focusing on how to create, assess, and remediate accessible course content using the WYSIWYG editor. Faculty will learn how to apply headings and formatting, add meaningful alternative text and captions, evaluate accessibility using built-in tools and Panorama, and identify issues that require manual review. The session emphasizes best practices for designing inclusive pages, multimedia, and instructional materials directly within the LMS.
For additional accessibility resources, please check out the following: