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Accessibility by Design

Accessibility by Design Electronic Accessibility Rubric

The rubric breaks accessibility tasks into stages for common types of content, providing a path to making electronic content more accessible over time.

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Electronic Content Accessibility Rubric

To use this rubric most effectively, first aim for universal design goals, and then progress towards accessibility goals.

The table lists tasks for several common document types. After a short description of an inaccessible document, the columns outline the steps progressing from Emerging and Developing to Proficient and Advanced. For PDF, the universal design goal is Emerging. For all others, the universal design goal is Developing. The accessibility goal is Advanced, although there may be additional steps outside of this rubric that are needed to make content truly accessible.
Content Type Signs of an Inaccessible Document Emerging Developing (Universal Design Goal) Proficient Advanced (Accessibility Goal)
Microsoft Word (or similar) The document has no structure. Text and illustrations have insufficient color contrast. Tables don't have header rows. Link text is not descriptive. Images don't have alt text. Use headings and styles to provide structure. Make links descriptive. Designate a header row for tables. Provide alternative text for simple images. Ensure good color contrast. Simplify tables. Provide table data for charts and graphs. Provide long description for complex images, charts, graphs. Run accessibility checker and resolve all issues.
Microsoft PowerPoint (or similar) Slides don't have titles, or titles are not unique. Links are not descriptive. Color is used as the only means of conveying information. Color contrast is insufficient. Images and charts don't have alt text. Reading order of slides is illogical. Choose a theme with sufficient color contrast, including on hyperlinks. Make slide titles unique. Use built-in slide layouts. Make links descriptive. Designate the header row on tables. Provide alternative text for images. Adjust the reading order of slides. Provide long description for charts and graphs. Provide auto-captions for embedded videos. Provide transcripts for embedded audio files. Edit captions for embedded videos. Run the accessibility checker and resolve all issues.
PDF - Scanned Document is illegible, blurry or difficult to read. Document contains images of text only; no selectable, searchable text. There are no tags providing structure. Tables don't have header rows. Reading order is illogical. (Universal Design Goal) Find a clear, legible copy. Run text recognition. Set the document title and language. Add tags for structure. Designate a header row for tables. Add alternative text for images. Reading order panel tags are in correct reading order. Reading order panel tags are correctly labeled (headings/structure). Tag tree is structured correctly. Provide long description for complex images, charts, graphs. Run accessibility checker and resolve issues.
PDF - Converted from other programs There are no tags providing structure. Tables don't have header rows. Reading order is illogical. Form fields don't have descriptive labels. (Universal Design Goal) Start with an accessible source document (e.g. Word, PowerPoint). Enable tags when saving as PDF (avoid print to PDF, Canva). Set the document title and language. Reading order panel tags are in correct reading order. Reading order panel tags are correctly labeled (headings/structure). Forms have descriptive labels. Form field tab order is logical. Tag tree is structured correctly. Run accessibility checker and resolve issues.
Canvas Organization of content, assignments, etc. is inconsistent. Uploaded documents are not accessible (PDF, etc.). Videos are not captioned. Quizzes include drag and drop type questions. Online proctoring tools are used (e.g. Respondus Lockdown Browser). Use the CSU Canvas template. Use headings for structure. Make links descriptive. Provide PowerPoint documents alongside lecture videos for note-taking. Add alternative text to images. Upload searchable PDFs. Choose third-party add-ons with care. Avoid digital proctoring. Use the native Canvas math editor to produce equations in MathML. Post videos using a third-party tool that provides auto-captions (e.g. Echo360, Kaltura). Allow transcripts for both video and audio files. All uploaded files are accessible (PPT, Word, PDF, etc.). Edit auto-captions for accuracy. Use accessible question formats on quizzes and exams. Run the UDOIT tool and resolve issues.
Multimedia Videos don't have captions or audio description. Audio files don't have a text transcript. Video text and captions have insufficient color contrast. Captions overlap with text on the screen. Video player doesn't have mouse or keyboard controls (play/pause function, etc.). Caption options are not visible on video players. Ensure that any text on the screen has sufficient contrast with the background. Describe visual content orally during recording. Provide text transcripts for audio-only files. Provide auto-captions for video. Use a video player with buttons for playback and caption visibility. Provide transcripts for download in addition to captions. Use a video player that displays interactive transcripts alongside video (e.g. Echo360, Kaltura). Provide edited captions for video. Provide edited transcripts for audio. Provide either audio description or transcripts with narrative description of visual information for videos.
Math Content Equations are images. Equations are coded in LaTeX or created using the Microsoft Equation Editor. Texts are in PDF format. Add alt text to equation images (as they should be spoken). Convert LaTeX to MathML or MathJax. Use authoring software that outputs MathML or MathJax (e.g. MathType, Pandoc). Use the built-in Canvas equation editor, which outputs MathML. Make documents available in HTML format as an alternative to PDF. Convert existing images to code using math text recognition software (e.g. InftyReader, EquatIO). Edit math recognition results in an equation editor that can output MathML or MathJax (e.g. EquatIO, MathType).
Complex Images, Charts, Graphs, etc. Alternative text is insufficient to convey the full concept. Interactive images are not usable with a keyboard or screen reader. Color is the only means of conveying important information. Maps. Include long descriptions in the surrounding text whenever possible. Link to a long description in an appendix if space is lacking on the page. (Link back to the original location from the appendix.) Provide tabulated data for charts and graphs as part of the long description. Ensure that color is not used to convey information. Check that any interactive images can be manipulated using a keyboard and screen reader. Have alternatives available for interactive images. Code interactive images for keyboard and screen reader access or request the publisher do so. Provide tactile graphics if appropriate for the subject (e.g. maps, anatomy).
Tables Tables have no designated header row or column. Tables have merged cells. Header information is on multiple rows or columns. Tables are used for layout, not data. Designate a single header row and/or column. Consolidate information from multiple header rows into one row. Move overall table title to a heading or caption above the table to eliminate an extra header row. Move any text that is not data or a header outside of the table. Determine if merged cells can be unmerged and still convey the relevant concepts using full columns/rows. Split table up if you have merged cells in the middle that serve as a "title" for a new section. Split table up if you have a row that functions as a new header row in the middle of a table. Move any remaining content of merged cells outside the table.
Web Content The page has no structure. Links are not descriptive. Color is used as the only means of conveying information. Color contrast is insufficient. Images don't have alt text. Elements can't be reached by keyboard or screen reader. Tab order is illogical. Tables are used for visual layout. Use headings for structure. Make links descriptive. Provide alternative text for images. Designate a header row for tables. Ensure text, hyperlinks and illustrations have good color contrast. Use a video player that can be controlled using a mouse, a keyboard and a screen reader. Run an accessibility checker that checks for WCAG AA standards on each web page (e.g. WAVE tool). Manually check and resolve errors and alerts. Test with keyboard navigation.