Accessibility Basics for Teachers

• Students can open, read, and use the material on their own
• Students can move through headings, links, fields, and slides without getting lost
• Students can understand the directions and what they are being asked to do
• Images, video, and audio include the support needed to carry the meaning
  • A diagram without a description is invisible to a screen reader user
  • A video without accurate captions excludes deaf and hard-of-hearing students
• The barrier should not be the format instead of the learning target

• An inaccessible format can block learning even when the student knows the content
• Clear structure helps students using assistive tech, phones, captions, and translation tools
• Plain instructions reduce confusion for everyone
• Accessibility supports independence, not just accommodation
• The Title II New Rule requires it!

• The DOJ published the final rule on April 24, 2024
• Public-school digital content must be accessible
• Digital content generally must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA
• Compliance dates: April 24, 2027 for entities serving 50,000 or more people; April 26, 2028 for smaller entities and special district governments

• Handouts, worksheets, rubrics, and assessments
• Slide decks and posted notes
• LMS posts, assignment descriptions, and attachments
• Videos, multimedia, and digital feedback

If students rely on it digitally, it should follow accessibility guidelines.

• Build accessibility into materials before posting them
• Use clear structure, descriptive links, and Alternative Text (Alt Text)
• Keep directions in live text, not only in screenshots or graphics
  • A screenshot of instructions cannot be read by a screen reader or translated automatically
• Review captions and treat reused materials as in scope

Alt text is a short description of an image that assistive technology reads aloud.

• If the image teaches something, describe what it shows
  • Bad: "chart" or leaving it blank
  • Better: "Bar chart showing average rainfall by month from January through June"
• If the image is purely decorative, mark it as decorative so screen readers skip it
• Diagrams, maps, graphs, historical photos, and lab illustrations all need alt text
• Word, PowerPoint, and Google tools all have a built-in alt text field

If a student cannot see the image, can they still get the point of the lesson from what you wrote?

• Posting scanned PDFs with no usable text layer
  • Scans are images; the text cannot be read, searched, or translated
• Sharing image-only directions or flyers
  • The entire instruction set is inaccessible to assistive technology
• Publishing auto-captions without review
  • Auto-captions routinely misstate names, subject vocabulary, and dates
• Using vague links and unclear instructions
  • "Click here" and "see attached" give screen reader users no context

Auto-generated captions are a starting point, not a finished product.

• Auto-captions frequently misstate subject-area vocabulary, names, and technical terms
• A student who is deaf or hard of hearing may get incorrect or misleading information
• Before posting any video, review and correct the captions in the platform
• YouTube, Google Drive, and Microsoft Stream all allow caption editing
• If you are recording yourself, speaking clearly and at a moderate pace improves accuracy

Unreviewed captions are better than nothing, but reviewed captions are the expectation.

1. Create in Word, PowerPoint, or Google tools using real headings and lists
2. Run Accessibility Checker or Grackle before posting
3. Fix flagged issues, link text, and captions
4. Post accessible source files or structured PDFs in the LMS

• Student-facing directions and assignment posts
• Handouts, study guides, and slides students review independently
• Assessments, rubrics, and answer fields
• Videos, captions, and embedded media

1. Fix the most reused classroom materials first
2. Rewrite one dense set of directions into short numbered steps
3. Stop posting scanned files when the original source exists
4. Check the next video and the next assignment before sharing

• Use the packet for LMS, document, rubric, and slide checks
• Send role or policy questions to accessibility@gltech.org
• Use StepStream, GLTHS quick guides, and Mass.gov resources
• Use Word, PowerPoint, and Grackle as part of the normal workflow

• Which material do you create most often?
• What feels hardest to fix first?
• What support would make this easier?