Course Update Milestones

Title II ADA Milestones for Faculty 

Access for All

Preparing your course materials to meet the April 2026 Title II/ADA accessibility standards is an opportunity to make your teaching even more inclusive and impactful while complying with federal law. By ensuring that both in-person and online classes are accessible to all students, you help create a learning environment that reflects our shared commitment to equity, student success, and academic excellence. While we know this work adds to already full plates, ensuring accessibility is essential to providing every student with the opportunity to succeed.  

This guide is designed to support you by breaking the process into manageable steps and helping you make steady progress toward compliance while maintaining your focus on teaching. You won’t be doing this alone. The CCRI team in Online Learning & Technology, along with Disability Services, a dedicated staff within IT, and the Library, will be here to provide hands-on support, training, and resources every step of the way. 

These milestones are based on months until the relevant course begins. For example, 7 months before Summer I 2026 Classes begin is November 2025. You are welcome to work ahead and avoid a rush during the summer!

 

Activity

Notes

Resources

Familiarize yourself with ADA/Title II requirements and institutional accessibility policies.

This is a federal mandate, not a CCRI policy or procedure change.

Video overview can be found here.

Print overview can be found here.

Inventory all your digital teaching materials. This includes items you have created, such as syllabi, handouts, PowerPoint presentations, images, videos, and any other items used (i.e. podcasts).

If these items are in Blackboard, run the Accessibility Checker (Ally) or look for the accessibility tool next to each document (red, yellow, or green gauge).  

Remember, all syllabi must be posted to Blackboard and available to students, even if Blackboard isn’t used for anything else. 

Checklist can be found here.

Instructions to use the Accessibility Checker in Blackboard (Ally) can be found here. 

Activity

Notes

Resources

Delete any course content from Blackboard that is outdated or no longer needed.

Check the Content Collection area in Blackboard for duplicate files.

OLT Workshop to come

Knowledge Base Article

Learn to use accessibility checkers in programs like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat.

Watch the Learning Curve Newsletter for workshops and webinar opportunities.

Professional development schedules can be found here. 

This Toolkit is a great place to start. 

Begin remediating text-based document quick fixes for headings, alt text, lists, color contrast, and other accessibility issues.

Watch the Learning Curve Newsletter for workshops and webinar opportunities.

Workshop schedules can be found here. 
Guides can be found at the Tools link here.

 
Activity Notes Resources

Textbooks and other publisher materials need to be accessible. See the list of publishers who have already been vetted. If the publisher you use is not on the list, contact them directly for accessibility information (i.e., accessible electronic formats--EPUB, tagged PDF, DAISY, electronic braille--and hard copy) and pass their response onto the Title II committee at [email protected].

Accessible versions of textbooks should be acquired, whether or not one of your current students needs them. The Title II Compliance Committee will help with the major publishers (like McGraw-Hill, Pearson, Cengage, Macmillan).

CCRI is reaching out to major publishers on your behalf and the results will be posted soon. 

Guidelines for Adopting Digital Courseware

Confirm accessibility of adopted ancillary materials.

Confirm that the homework, quiz, and test sites provided by the publisher are accessible.

More support coming soon.

Begin ensuring that all videos used in class have accurate captions and transcripts.

Any video used in Blackboard, in class, or online through a third-party system must have captions and access to a transcript of the text.

Comprehensive captioning website

Examples of do's and don'ts for captions and transcripts can be found here. 

Using Microsoft Stream to create new videos with captions. 

Add captions to existing videos.

Ensure that your digital syllabus is accessible and includes accessibility and accommodation statements.

The Supplemental Syllabus document will include college-wide statements as needed. 

Check with your department chair about accessibility and accommodation statements unique to your class or program. 

Practice describing visuals verbally during instruction and/or updating Alt-Text in digital materials.

Consider how to present materials if a low-sighted or no-sighted person were in the class or reading the document. 

Recommended resources to be added soon!

Activity Notes Resources

Ensure that the supplementary digital materials you have selected which are not from your publisher (e.g. reserve readings, scanned chapters, linked readings, etc.) meet accessibility standards. Typically, scanned text is not accessible.

Check with the Library staff to help with materials placed on reserve. Secure accessible versions of all scanned material. 

A guide for using Library databases to find items can be found here.

 

Create accessible verisons of online exams and quizzes, if needed.

Note: Exams and Quizzes created in Blackboard will be accessible. 

Confirm accessibility of the syllabus and other files once they are posted in Blackboard.

Look for the Ally accessibility tool next to each document (red, yellow, or green gauge) once uploaded to Blackboard. 

A guide for using Ally can be found here.

Remember to remove files and links that are no longer needed as you teach the course. 

  • Continue spot-checking new digital materials.

  • Re-check publisher updates and new digital textbook editions and accompanying materials each semester for accessibility.

  • Document compliance efforts for departmental reporting.

  • Look for Blackboard Content-Collection Clean-Up Workshops and Accessibility Trainings throughout Spring Semester and beyond.

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