First and foremost, it helps all learners access content. Secondly, all course materials must be accessible to comply with federal regulations. As of April 24, 2026 the Department of Education expects all course content to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG) 2.1 standards. These expectations will assist all learners in having access to content, as well as help us ensure we meet federal requirements for funding and accreditation.
Design for Accessibility Guide
The Principles of POUR
WCAG 2.1 standards describe the four basic accessibility principles of POUR:
- Perceivable – content must be presented in a form where users can perceive it, auditorily and/or visually.
- Examples: text alternatives to images and video, adaptable content, separating foreground and background, etc.
- Operable – the user interface and navigation must be operable by all users, including those using assistive technologies.
- Examples: keyboard access, alternatives to time-based media, streamline navigation, etc.
- Understandable – content information and operation must be understandable.
- Examples: text is readable, web page layouts are predictable, help users avoid and correct mistakes, etc.
- Robust – content must be robust enough to be interpreted reliably by all user agents.
- Example: maximize compatibility with current and future user agents, including assistive technologies
Compliance of All Materials
Outside of course materials you create, any external websites or educational technologies you use in your course must also follow WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards at a minimum to comply with accessibility regulations.
- Be sure to verify links, closed captions on videos, alt-text on images, and other formatting standards such as font and headers.
- To check the accessibility of a web page, you are welcome to select any of the Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools from the list provided by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).
There are limited exceptions for some kinds of content, which do not have to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. View the Summary of Exceptions page provided by the ADA for complete information on these exceptions.
Accessibility is a Process
It should be noted that accessibility is a process. Ensuring your course materials are accessible will take time and effort. LSSC provides multiple tools to help you make all content – text documents, PDFs, images, video, slide decks, Canvas pages – accessible to all students.