Summary

USNH has a legal obligation to ensure all students can access digital course materials, regardless of disability. This includes meeting accessibility expectations outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Recent updates to ADA Title II regulations reinforce the requirement that public higher education institutions provide accessible digital content, including web‑based instructional materials.

Designing with accessibility in mind from the start is more effective and more equitable than remediating inaccessible materials later. Accessible course design benefits all students by supporting varied learning needs, technologies, and environments. For additional guidelines and a full accessibility checklist, see the related article  Accessibility: Guidelines and Checklist

Course Design

"Ensuring an accessible and pleasant experience to all users, regardless of disability, is a key focus of Canvas" - One of the major reasons that we encourage the use of the Learning Management System at The University of New Hampshire is to increase accessibility with the tools built in to Canvas. More info: Canvas Community - Accessibility Standards 

Given the fact that your students come from different backgrounds, skill sets, culture, and disabilities, presenting your course content in multiple ways will better engage your students. You can use a combination of text, audio/video or images to present your lecture content.

The following list is a general guideline for when you use myCourses by Canvas to create your course content.

Format the content

The following practices support conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA - the standard adopted under the updated ADA Title II rule for public institutions. These guidelines help ensure your course materials are readable, perceivable, and usable for all learners

Use "headers": LMS’s and document creation tools have "styles" built into them. Using these styles/headers will help screen readers navigate through them easily.

Text and Color

• Avoid underlining text. Use bold or italics to emphasize your content. Screen readers will interpret underlined text as a web link.
• Avoid using RED or other colors to display emphasis. The screen reader will not be able to recognize it. Also, a student with color-blindness will not be able to see it.
• Avoid writing the whole sentence in capital letters. It is difficult to read.
• Avoid highlights. Some combinations of background color and text color can make it hard to read, especially for those with color vision difficulties. Use this free Color Contrast Checker took by WebAIM. 

Navigation

Consistent and clear navigation helps all students locate materials efficiently and ensures that learners using assistive technologies - such as screen readers or keyboard‑only navigation can participate fully. These practices support both WCAG 2.1 AA conformance and the digital accessibility requirements reinforced in the ADA Title II rule.

• Navigation consistency: By making the navigation within myCourses  consistent, it will make it much easier for screen reader users (students with disabilities) to find course materials.
• Make sure your navigation is accessible by using keyboard alone.
• Use descriptive text for web links/documents and avoid using "click here". "Click here" does not provide enough information for the screen reader software. 
  Example:
  • Good practice: Please visit UNH Student Accessibility Services  for more information about student accommodations. 
  • Not recommended: Please click here  for more information about student accommodations.

Videos and Audios

All videos must have accurate closed captions, and all audio content must have transcripts. This expectation is required across USNH courses and is also emphasized in the Accessibility: Guidelines and Checklist article. Captions and transcripts are essential for meeting WCAG 2.1 AA standards and align with federal accessibility requirements under updated Title II regulations. 

When selecting external videos, choose resources that already include captions (e.g., TED Talks). If captions are not provided, instructors must ensure they are added before assigning the video. 

Images and Alternative Text

All images included in your course must have meaningful alternative text (alt text). Alternative text is also specifically highlighted in ADA Title II guidance as necessary for screen reader users, who cannot access information conveyed only through images.

Title II and Why Accessible Course Design Matters

Public higher education institutions must comply with updated ADA Title II digital accessibility regulations beginning April 24, 2026 (with extended deadlines for smaller communities). These regulations require that web content, course materials, mobile apps, and digital documents meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards. 

Designing accessible Canvas content now supports institutional compliance and ensures equal access for all learners.
For more implementation guidance, see:

 Accessibility: Guidelines and Checklist

Resources on Accessibility based on USNH Technology Products

This is a list of resources you can leverage when assessing your course and accessibility.  

Canvas 

Canvas: Using the Accessibility Checker

Microsoft 

Accessibility Tools for Microsoft Word

Accessibility Tools for Microsoft PowerPoint 

Accessibility Tools for Microsoft Excel

Accessibility Tools for OneDrive

Microsoft Teams Accessibility Resources

Improve accessibility with the Accessibility Checker

SharePoint: Guidance for Creating Accessible SharePoint Content

Kaltura 

Video Captioning: Understanding Captioning and Caption Workflow

Kaltura: Captioning a Video 

Further Readings

UNH Course Review Accessibility Checklist (PDF Attachment) 

Need additional help?

Visit the Technology Help Desk Support page to locate your local campus contact information or to submit an online technology support request.  For password issues you must call or visit the Help Desk in person.