Accessibility Resources and Support
It is important to format digital course resources, including your syllabus, in a way that is inclusive and accessible to all. The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) has created this page to provide resources and support options when creating accessible content.
Title II Update
Last spring, the federal government updated the Americans with Disabilities Act to establish guidelines for digital content accessibility. Although Stony Brook has had a digital accessibility policy in place since 2022, the federal law mandates that all digital content must be accessible by April 2026.
While this deadline may seem far away, meeting these requirements will involve significant effort across the university. For example, all course materials, including instructional videos, PowerPoints, and readings, will need to adhere to these new guidelines. This will take time, and we want to do as much as we can to support you in understanding the new rules and updating your course materials.
CELT has created a Frequently Asked Questions page about the Title II Update.
Accessibility Resources
Below are self-paced resource guides to get you started creating accessible course content. It's best to begin with the “Digital Accessibility Resources Guide” if you are new to digital accessibility.
Digital Accessibility
Resource Guide
This short self-paced guide reviews tips, strategies, and general resources for making your course content more accessible.
Picking the Best Format for Content
This guide shows when it’s best to present information in a PDF, a Word document, or a Brightspace HTML page.
Brightspace
Resource Guide
This self-paced guide reviews Brightspace’s Accessibility tools and best practices for delivering content on the LMS.
Google Resource Guides
Find trainings to develope accessible Google content.
Microsoft Resource Guides
Find trainings to develop accessible Microsoft content.
PDF
Resource Guides
Learn how to remediate PDFs to be accessible.
Long Descriptions
Understand what long descriptions are, when to include them in your content, and how to format them
Navigating Rise Self-paced Guides
New to Articulate Rise's self-paced courses? Learn how to navigate and use our guides accessibly.
Title II Update Guide
Find out more about the Americans with Disabilities Act's Title rule update and how to follow the rule.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Discover the ways that Universal Design for Learning contributes to a more accessible learning environment.
Video Guides
Learn how to make videos accessible using university-supported tools.
Web Accessibility
Review simple steps to check if a webpage is accessible.
Printable Guides
Printable versions of all trainings are available to download.
Support Options
CELT provides a variety of in-person and virtual support options throughout the year:
CELT Course Content Accessibility Consultations
Request assistance with achieving accessible digital content.
Request a ConsultationWorkshops and Drop-in Sessions
Accessibility workshops and drop-in sessions are hosted by CELT throughout the year.
PDF Remediation
Request support with PDF remediation. All documents are completed on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Top 5 Course Content Accessibility Tips
If you’re getting started making your course content accessible, these are the five best ways to get started:
- Use PDFs only when necessary. Create and share content using Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint) or within a Brightspace page (Create a File).
- Use university-supported tools (Echo, Zoom) to transcribe videos, and review them for accuracy.
- Ensure that all images in Brightspace, PowerPoints, etc. have alt text or, if necessary, a longer description.
- Run the Accessibility Assistant for all Word and PPT files (It’s under the “Review” section).
- Check your Ally score for your Brightspace course content.
Recommended SBU Resources
Stony Brook University has a variety of resources for accessibility for website and student support.
- EIT Vendor and Contract Review to Procure Software
- Stony Brook's Accessibility Resources (OU Campus Support Site)
- Student Accessibility Support Center (SASC)
- Website Accessibility Checklist
- DoIT's Accessibility Tools
- Ally for Accessibility within Brightspace
- Accessbility in Educational Technologies
Additional Accessibility Resources
- US Department of Justice Fact Sheet on Title II Rule - Reviews a new rule on the accessibility of web content and mobile apps provided by State and local governments.
- US Department of Education OCR Video Series - A collection of 3-5 min videos focusing on identifying and remediating barriers to access.
- Sheryl Burgstahler’s 20 Tips for Teaching an Accessible Online Course - While written for online courses, this resource provides practical tips that you can begin implementing in your course today in both face to face and online courses.
- CAST’s Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines - Tips and strategies for using accessibility features in various educational technologies.
- Arizona State University's Image Accessibility Generator - Upload images through the generator and it will provide alt text and longer descriptions that you can add and edit in your documents.
- Deque University's Color Contrast Checker - A free tool by Deque University to check if content meet's color contrast requirements.
- WebAim Color Contrast Checker - A free tool from Web Aim to check if content meets color contrast requirements.
If you have suggestions for additional guides, please reach out by emailing us at celt@stonybrook.edu.
