Accessibility
Helping all students succeed in their studies while at WCU is one of our primary goals. Review the information below on how to support students with academic accommodations, how to create accessible digital content, and other accessibility resources.
Make sure to visit the Canvas Accessibility and Accommodations Hub for a list of resources in the WCU IT Support Center.
Supporting Students with Documented Accommodations
Faculty play an integral role in providing accommodations for students in their courses. WCU’s Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) works in partnership with faculty to fulfill the required accommodation needs of our students while balancing curriculum expectations. The OAR provides more information as well as an FAQ in their Faculty Information section.
Basic Four of Accessibility
We recommend starting with the “basic four” to focus on common accessibility issues. They consist of these four elements:
- Document structure
- ALT-text
- Media accessibility
- Using accessible 3rd party resources
Kennesaw State University created the resource Basic Four of Accessibility, which is an excellent starting point to familiarize yourself with each item.
Full Accessibility Checklist
The Coulter Faculty Commons created a checklist for instructors that help making most common digital content accessible.
Download the Course Digital Accessibility Checklist to help you review commonly utilized digital resources, such as Canvas, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft PowerPoint for accessibility.
WCU Resources
Digital Accessibility at WCU: Accessibility Standards & Compliance
Hunter Library Accessibility Research Guide
WCU IT’s WCU Digital Accessibility Workshops and Presentation Archive
Other Resources
Resources and training to increase web accessibility offered through WebAim.
Canvas & Accessibility
Two helpful common settings in Canvas to provide accommodations to students taking tests online:
- Instructure Community: Once I publish a timed quiz, how can I give my students extra time?
- IT Help Support Center: Letting a specific student take a Canvas Quiz at a different time than the other students