You are likely used to thinking about accessibility as it relates to physical spaces, such as wheelchair ramps, curb cuts in sidewalks and Braille lettering on signs. You might not be aware that accessibility barriers can also occur in digital spaces.
“Digital accessibility” is the practice of designing and developing electronic materials that are usable to everyone, including those with disabilities. Within the University of Missouri System, these electronic materials include digital course content (such as Canvas, tools used within Canvas, and files uploaded to Canvas), websites, mobile applications, vended applications and other electronic documents.
The Department of Justice has issued updated ADA Title II regulations for digital accessibility for all web content and digital apps for state and local government entities, which includes the University of Missouri System and all its campuses, departments, colleges, schools, libraries, extension programs and other academic or administrative units. A systemwide Digital Accessibility Compliance task force is working to develop a comprehensive plan to comply with these regulations, which will go into effect on April 24, 2026.
Complying with these guidelines can be a hefty task. However, making course content accessible to all will provide a more enriching experience for our students. While we are planning to offer many different types of additional support soon, Missouri Online currently offers several resources for instructors to learn more about digital accessibility:
- TidyUp is a tool that will help clean up unused content in your Canvas course, which will save time identifying files that must be addressed.
- UDOIT is a tool that will scan a Canvas site and flag potential accessibility barriers.
- Two self-paced training courses, Designing digitally accessible documents and Digital accessibility for Canvas, guide instructors through learning more about digital accessibility and addressing issues.
- Knowledge base articles detail options for course and academic technology accessibility.
- Missouri Online’s events calendar highlights upcoming training sessions including those about digital accessibility.
Missouri Online academic technologists and course designers are also available for one-on-one consultations or departmental training. Contact Missouri Online to schedule a session.