Digital Accessibility - Training, Resources, Tips, & Tools

This article contains recorded trainings, presentation slides, upcoming webinars and open labs, various tools, resources, tips, and support for getting started.

Recordings of Live Trainings on YouTube

Introduction to the Basics 

• Introduction to accessibility basics
• Introduction to Tagging
• On page content Tags – Headers, Images, Tables etc.

Images

• Working with images  (Faculty examples)
• Recording: Images for STEM & Healthcare (Digital Accessibility)

Videos

• Making videos accessible (Faculty examples)
• Creating Accessibility Videos (Staff)

Accessible PDFs

• Accessible PDFs (Faculty)

 

Web Tools

• WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool (Identify accessibility errors and warnings directly on your web pages and Canvas courses.)
• WebAIM Color Contrast Checker (Test color combinations online to ensure WCAG 2.1 AA contrast requirements are met.)
• Accessible Colors (Online tool to find accessible color palettes and test contrast ratios.)
• Beefree AI Alt Text Generator (Bulk generate alt text for images using AI directly within your design workflow.)
• NoteGPT YouTube Transcript Generator (Generate transcripts from YouTube videos for accessibility and content repurposing.)

 

Browser Extensions & DevTools

• axe DevTools Browser Extension (Advanced accessibility testing integrated into your browser developer tools.)
• Lighthouse Accessibility Audit (Built-in Chrome DevTools accessibility auditing and performance testing.)

 

Tips for Getting Started 

Compliance does not mean that every document ever created must be remediated.

• Prioritize - Focus on high-traffic pages, registration forms and core services.
• Actionable Items: for each issue, assign a team member to fix it 

Start with simple changes:

• Add Alt Text: Describe images for screen reader users (keep it concise and meaningful)
• Use Headings Properly: Structure documents with Heading 1, 2, 3 (not just bold text)
• Create Descriptive Links: Write "View Syllabus" instead of "Click Here"
• Check Color Contrast: Ensure text is readable against backgrounds
• Add Captions to Videos: Include closed captions for all video content
• Use Readable Fonts: Choose clear fonts at minimum 12pt size

 

Small, Steady Steps Toward Fully Accessible Courses

• Prioritize high-impact items. Working gradually lets you make steady improvements without feeling overwhelmed.
• Build on what you already have. Look first at materials you’ve already created. Update these to align with accessibility standards. This turns individual fixes into lasting, inclusive resources that benefit everyone.
• Focus by Content Type. Dedicate time to improving one type of material across all your content. For example, dedicate time to working on Word documents and PowerPoints, then shift to images or captions. This short, focused approach helps you build consistency and confidence in accessibility skills.
• Work Together Team up with colleagues to divide the work. Share materials, split up tasks by format or topic, and review each other’s updates—you’ll save time and pick up new techniques along the way.
• Remember: every improvement, big or small, moves us closer to fully accessible content for everyone!

 

Additional Resources 

• Accessibility Decision Trees (Quick reference for making decisions)
• Excel & Google Spreadsheets Accessibility Hints
• PowerPoint & Google Slides Accessibility Guide: (Tips, Tricks & Best Practices)
• Getting started with Grackle (Log in with your @email.VCCS.edu account to access this Getting Started with Grackle Help)
• Creating accessible emails in Outlook
• Nova Training Sessions Calendar
• Staff accessibility Toolkit  (Pre-built templates, checklists, and quick reference guides for staff)
• AI for Accessibility Tools (Copy-ready prompts for common accessibility tasks)

 

Standards & References 

• WCAG 2.1 Quick Reference (Official W3C quick reference guide for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.)
• Section 508 Compliance Resources (Government resources for Section 508 compliance and accessibility standards.)
• ADA Title II Compliance Checklist (Comprehensive checklist for creating accessible digital content in higher education for ADA Title II compliance.)
• DOJ ADA Title II Web Accessibility Rule (Official DOJ final rule on web and mobile app accessibility requirements for state and local governments.)

 

Support 

• Submit a question to the project team using this form.
• Contact the Digital Accessibility Project team
  • Director: Dr. Sheri Prupis - sprupis@vccs.edu
  • Project Manager: Deniece Noukpo - dnoukpo@vccs.edu
  • Accessibility SME: Page Durham - pdurham@vccs.edu