Course Accessibility Resources
The Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning is here to assist faculty with ensuring course content meets current ADA Guidelines. Below you will find an implementation timeline for the new accessibility plan for course content at 成年人深夜福利在线观看 Tech, as well as resources and tools to help make your course(s) more accessible. If at any point you have questions or would like to know more about the technology available, you can contact the CITL. If you have questions about accessibility in general, you can visit the Accessible Education Center for more information. Please note, if you're a web editor, check out the guide to the new ADA requirements in the Web Support Portal.
- Understanding the New ADA Ruling
What's Changed?
In accordance with the WCAG 2.1 AA standards, institutions are now required to make all digital media accessible. This includes PDFs and media content such as course videos, live lectures, content on the LMS (D2L/iLearn), and other instructional media. This also includes the university website and all documents and media posted there.
What's Required?
Institutions must now meet the WCAG 2.1 AA standards for documents (books, PDFs, etc) by providing alternative formats; time-based media through live-captioning and captions with audio descriptions for pre-recorded videos; and transcripts for audio-only content.
Who & When?
Because the work to make new and existing content accessible may be substantial, it is important to begin working on learning and remediating now rather than waiting for the compliance date. By February 3, 2026 all spring courses at 成年人深夜福利在线观看 Tech must be in alignment with the guidelines having a score of 70% or higher with no major or severe issues within Panorama in D2L iLearn and alt text for all images.
By April 24, 2026, public universities and colleges serving an area with a population of 50,000+ must meet the WCAG 2.1 AA standards. 成年人深夜福利在线观看 Tech falls within this category.
TN Tech Action Steps
Based on the information outlined above, 成年人深夜福利在线观看 Tech has purchased a new digital accessibility software, YuJa Panorama, to integrate within our learning management system (D2L) to help faculty ensure their course materials are accessible and provide alternative formats for students. In addition, this website has been created and will continue to be updated with resources for faculty. The timeline below shows the process for this implementation and next steps. For the university website, the Web & Digital Media team uses accessibility software to monitor compliance, as well as guides available for web editors on how to help maintain compliance, and is working with the AEC to roll out a PDF remediation tool.
- TN Tech Action Plan
Raising Awareness
Fall 2024-Spring 2025
- August 2024: The University Chief Compliance Officer, Greg Holt, presented to the President's Cabinet.
- Spring 2025: Center for Innovation in Teaching Learning Director, Dr. Jason Beach, and Accessible Education Center Director, Dr. Ed Beason, presented to various stakeholders including Faculty Senate and Department Chairs/Directors.
Rollout
May-July 2025
- Accessibility goals for 成年人深夜福利在线观看 Tech were established in alignment with WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
- Established a budget and selected a vendor for accessibility tools related to course design.
- Began preparing for campus implementation of YuJa Panorama.
- Pilot Panorama to test captioning, audio description workflows, and refine training materials for faculty and students.
Phase 1: Scale & Train
August-December 2025
- Begin campus-wide rollout.
- Begin working with faculty on course content for Spring 2026 courses to "Go Green by Spring 2026."
- Continue meeting with groups and individuals across campus to share the new guidelines and available support.
- Continue to gather faculty, student, and staff feedback from pilot groups.
- Continue to refine workflows and expand training and resources.
- University representatives attend the ADA conference.
Phase 2: Go Green
January-March 2026
- Continue to scale accessibility tools campus-wide.
- Go Green by Spring: Ensure current semester content is compliant. By February 3, 2026, all Spring courses meet guidelines of 70% within Panorama in D2L iLearn with 0 Major or Severe issues and alt text for all images.
- Day-long accessibility workshop hosted by CITL.
Phase 3: Finalize & Monitor
March-April 2026
- Tag/archive exempt materials.
- Establish a review process to maintain compliance going forward.
- YuJa Panorama
To assist with making all course materials compliant with the WCAG 2.1 AA standards, 成年人深夜福利在线观看 Tech has purchased YuJa Panorama. Panorama integrates with out learning management system, D2L/iLearn, to provide accessibility checks for course content and alternative formats for students to view content.
Green By SpringAll Spring 2026 courses must have a course report score of 70% with 0 Major or Severe issues and alt text for all images by February 3, 2026.
- Technology Accessibility
Each of the supported instructional technologies on the CITL's website has accessibility information located within the Accessibility tab on that technology's page as seen below.
You can also view accessibility statements for each technology on the Learner Success Resources page.
- Document Accessibility
YuJa Panorama enables faculty to check a document's accessibility within a D2L/iLearn course, and for students and faculty to convert documents into alternative formats within D2L. However, at this time, it does not correct the documents themselves. Faculty must ensure document accessibility within the document itself using the tools. Learn how to use the accessibility tools within Word documents, PowerPoints, and other documents below.
- Exam Information
Alternative Testing Agreements are handled by the Accessible Education Center. To learn more, please visit the website below.
- Syllabus Information
成年人深夜福利在线观看 Tech has created a standard syllabus that can be used for all courses. Each semester, the syllabus template is updated and posted on the Provost's website. To find the most updated version, use the link below and scroll to the bottom of the page.
In accordance with university policy 223, all course syllabi should be available within the university LMS (D2L/iLearn). After you have finalized your syllabus, you can check accessibility using the DocHub from Panorama and upload to the syllabus section within your course. Learn more
- Resources
Below are additional resources that provide accessibility information and assistance.
This resources summarizes the new ruling.
Watch this webinar to learn about how the new ruling impacts higher education.
This ACS Inclusivity Style Guide section highlights why building accessibility into new work from the beginning is easier, more effective, and more inclusive than retrofitting later.
This resource offers training, tools, research, and expert support to help make digital content truly inclusive.
- Frequently Asked Questions
General Understanding
- 禄 What Happens If We Don't?
If a complaint is made, the appropriate federal agency starts an audit process that includes assessing whether proper structures are in place (personnel & policies/procedures that most people follow) for accessibility. The federal government is also running random audits of universities, even without specific complaints. In either case, if the university is found to be out of compliance, a full audit will be conducted and a remediation plan required, which will be closely monitored over time. If progress isn鈥檛 made, the matter will be referred for litigation, which may involve a monetary penalty.
- 禄 What Can I Do?
- Review the new rule and guidelines.
- Attend CITL workshops on accessibility in course design or watch previous recordings within our archive.
- Audit your course materials to create a list of what changes are needed. Keep in mind this includes class emails, course handouts, course syllabi, and all materials within your course on D2L iLearn. NOTE: At a minimum, all courses must have the course syllabus, course schedule, and grades updated within D2L/iLearn in accordance with university policy 223.
- Book a course consultation with your college/school's instructional designer to review the materials discovered during your course audit and discuss any items you may have overlooked or need to consider.
- Maintain your course accessibility each semester by ensuring updates to course materials continue to meet accessibility requirements.
- 禄 Who Can Help Me?
The CITL is available to provide support for faculty in the development, design, and maintenance of course materials, including improving the accessibility of your course. The Accessible Education Center provides supports for student accommodations and assisting faculty with alternative delivery options for course materials.
- 禄 How is my course reviewed?
YuJa Panorama provides a course report on the accessibility of your course content within D2L/iLearn. These course reports outline the overall accessibility of the course as well as individual content information and can be shared with Department Chairs, School Directors, and Deans to assist in the review of course materials to ensure accessibility. To learn more about accessing these reports and how to see your course score, visit the Panorama webpage.
Please NoteAll Spring 2026 Courses must have a score of 70% with 0 Major or Severe issues and alt text for all images by February 3, 2026.
- 禄 What Happens After April 24, 2026?
Faculty will continue to be responsible for maintaining the accessibility of their courses in alignment with WCAG 2.1 guidelines or any future guidelines established.
- 禄 What is the difference in YuJa and YuJa Panorama?
YuJa Media is an all-in-one video experience to securely create, manage, discover, collaborate, and live stream video content across any device. It provides closed captioning as well.
YuJa Panorama is the digital accessibility tool within D2L iLearn that provides alternative formats for students for course content and helps instructors improve the accessibility of their courses.
Textbooks
- 禄 What if my textbook isn't accessible?
Today, most actively used textbooks are available in an accessible format for students who have already bought the inaccessible version. If that textbook is provided along with other course materials, teaching faculty should check with the publisher to access the accessible format of the book. When selecting textbooks for a class, teaching faculty should ensure that multiple versions are available, or that the single version of the text is an accessible version.
If you are a student and encounter course materials that are not accessible, the Accessible Education Center (AEC), will work with you to document accommodations and get you the tools that you need.
- 禄 What do I do for an old textbook or required text that was scanned to PDF a long time
ago and is not accessible? Who is responsible for making it accessible?
Ultimately, it is up to the instructor to make sure all course content is accessible. 成年人深夜福利在线观看 Tech offers multiple resources to support instructors in making these modifications to their learning materials; from training to accessibility checkers to consultations. You can also contact the textbook publisher to see if an accessible version is now available.
- 禄 Who is responsible for making the open educational resources (OER) that are used in
my course?
For OERs, the answer will depend on how the resource is provided. For resources that are locally hosted on university servers or open sourced - it is the responsibility of the teaching faculty, product management, or document owner. Software resources fall under the vendor's responsibility.
- 禄 What do I do about add-ons provided with my textbook (pre-created slides, online practice
problems, virtual labs, etc.) that are not accessible?
It is best not to adopt add-on material(s) for your course if you have doubts about its accessibility. Sometimes reaching out to the publisher with questions can help you decide. Quite a few major publishers have invested in staff who can knowledgeably answer accessibility questions about their products.
Course Materials
- 禄 What course materials need to be accessible?
In accordance with WCAG 2.1, all course materials that are digital must be available in an accessible format, this includes LMS materials (D2L/iLearn), PDFs, PowerPoints, videos, podcasts, images, emails, third party apps, and more.
It is recommended, that all course content is available in a digital format to ensure students who may require accommodation have access to the course materials.
- 禄 I use handwritten notes in my course. How do I make those accessible?
Digitizing handwritten notes is the most common way to make handwritten notes accessible. Be sure to add alternative text to any sketches. Digital file(s) can be distributed in word, HTML, or updated and accessible PDF format with tagging.
- 禄 What about printed course materials?
Printed course materials such as handouts, worksheets, exams, lab instructions, printed readings must be available in accessible formats if a student with a disability is enrolled.
What should faculty do:- Keep an accessible digital version of print handouts (Word or tagged PDF).
- Be ready to provide large-print or Braille versions through the Accessible Education Center (AEC). Please note, when notified by the AEC of a student request, the earlier you provide them with a copy of your course materials, the better.
- 禄 How do I make my PDFs accessible?
The best way to edit a PDF is to edit the document in the original format (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.). If this is not possible, you can tag your PDF using Panorama or Adobe. Learn more about editing your documents here.
Real-Time Instruction
- 禄 How does this affect my lectures and class discussions?
For real-time instruction such as lectures, class discussions, seminars, faculty do not have to caption every class live, but if a student requires real-time access (e.g., CART captioning or interpreters), the AEC arranges accommodations.
What faculty should do:
- Use microphones when available so assistive tech can connect.
- Face students when speaking for lip-reading.
- Share lecture outlines or notes when possible.
- Contact AEC immediately if notified of a student requiring live accommodations.
In-Class Presentations and Activities
- 禄 Do my in-class presentations need to change?
In-class presentations will need to be accessible with regards to slides shown on screen, videos played in class, live demonstrations. Content shown digitally must meet accessibility standards. Live presentations may require accommodations if a student requests them.
What faculty should do:
- Caption any videos shown in class.
- Use high-contrast slides with alt text on images.
- Provide slide decks to students in advance so assistive technology can be used.
- Work with AEC to arrange interpreters or captioners for live sessions if needed.
- 禄 What about my in-class activities and labs?
For in-class activities and labs such as group projects, polling, science labs, hands-on demonstrations, activities must be designed so that all students can participate.
What faculty should do:
- Use accessible polling tools or provide an alternate method for participation.
- Provide lab instructions in accessible digital formats.
- Make sure lab equipment is adjustable or that equivalent alternatives are available.
- Check classroom space for mobility access (aisles, lab benches, group tables).
Exam and Assessments
- 禄 How does this affect my exams?
For exams including online quizzes, printed exams, in-class tests, assessments must be accessible and equitable.
What faculty should do:
- Online quizzes must pass LMS accessibility checks (alt text, no timed-only visuals).
- Printed exams should have accessible digital versions ready.
- Work with AEC to provide extra time, assistive tech, or alternate formats when required.
- 禄 What Happens If We Don't?
- Workshops
Fall 2025
September 16
Quick(ish) Changes to Make Your Course More Accessible
11 AM | Teams
Join the CITL on Tuesday, September 16th at 11 AM via Teams, where we鈥檒l walk through a series of quick(ish) updates you can make to improve the accessibility of your course content and create a more inclusive learning environment for all students.
September 23
Fixing Issues in Panorama
11 AM | Teams
Learn how to fix accessibility issues with our new digital accessibility tool, YuJa Panorama. During this session, we will do an overview of the frequent issues flagged in Panorama and provide resources and solutions for resolving them, specifically focusing on PDFs.
October 7
Quick(ish) Changes to Make Your Course More Accessible
11 AM | Teams
Join the CITL on Tuesday, October 7th at 11 AM via Teams, where we鈥檒l walk through a series of quick(ish) updates you can make to improve the accessibility of your course content and create a more inclusive learning environment for all students.
November 11
Course Consultations: Panorama and Accessibility Support
8:00-4:00 PM
Schedule a consultation to work with a member of our team. We are here to assist you with aligning your course objectives to assignments and activities, linking your gradebook and items within D2L iLearn, finding new ways to incorporate AI into your courses and course planning, or begin looking at the accessibility of your spring courses using YuJa Panorama.
November 25
Course Consultations: Panorama and Accessibility Support
8:00-4:00 PM
Schedule a consultation to work with a member of our team. We are here to assist you with aligning your course objectives to assignments and activities, linking your gradebook and items within D2L iLearn, finding new ways to incorporate AI into your courses and course planning, or begin looking at the accessibility of your spring courses using YuJa Panorama.
December 2
Course Consultations: Panorama and Accessibility Support
8:00-4:00 PM
Schedule a consultation to work with a member of our team. We are here to assist you with aligning your course objectives to assignments and activities, linking your gradebook and items within D2L iLearn, finding new ways to incorporate AI into your courses and course planning, or begin looking at the accessibility of your spring courses using YuJa Panorama.
December 8
Course Consultations: Panorama and Accessibility Support
8:00-4:00 PM
Schedule a consultation to work with a member of our team. We are here to assist you with aligning your course objectives to assignments and activities, linking your gradebook and items within D2L iLearn, finding new ways to incorporate AI into your courses and course planning, or begin looking at the accessibility of your spring courses using YuJa Panorama.
View previous recordings within the CITL Workshop Archive.
Accessibility at 成年人深夜福利在线观看 Tech University is a shared responsibility. By working together, we can remove barriers and create equitable experiences for everyone.
Contact Us
For assistance with these tools or improving course accessibility, please contact the CITL at citl@tntech.edu.