Procedure for Creating and Publishing Accessible Course Content


1. Purpose

Ensure that UW digital course content meets the UW Minimum Digital Accessibility Technical Standard.    

2. Scope   

This procedure applies to:  

3. References   

4. Definitions  

Digital Course Content 

Digital course content is web content that is used for instructional purposes in courses offered to students by the university. 

Web Content 

Web content means the information and sensory experience to be communicated to the user by means of a user agent, including code or markup that defines the content's structure, presentation, and interactions. Examples of web content include text, images, sounds, videos, controls, animations, and conventional electronic documents. (ADA Title II Rule)  

Web content may be published on a variety of platforms such as websites, learning management systems, or other applications.   

5. Roles and Responsibilities   

List of all relevant roles and their responsibilities in executing or overseeing the procedure.
Role Responsibility
Office of the Provost
  • Delegates authority to administrative unit/s to oversee related activities
Academic Strategy and Affairs (ASA)
  • Updates UW processes, practices, policies in ways that support digital accessibility of course content
  • Provides central support for tools such as Canvas, TidyUp and Ally and guidance for technical troubleshooting
  • Develops self-access resources for instructors on how to make digital course content accessible
  • Raises awareness of digital accessibility through communications, outreach and educational opportunities
Compliance and Risk Services, Civil Rights Compliance (CRC)
  • Provides guidance on ADA Title II digital accessibility expectations, including requirements and exceptions
  • Tracks progress toward stated accessibility goals
Academic Units (tri-campus schools and colleges)
  • Ensure Instructors in the unit are aware of their responsibilities to follow the UW standard for digital course content accessibility and resources available centrally to help.
  • Monitor digital course content accessibility across courses and programs and ensure the unit is making progress.
  • Assess unit-specific needs and provide additional support or resources, as feasible.
Instructors
  • Follow UW’s standard for digital content accessibility when publishing course content
Information Technology, Accessible Technology Services (UWIT ATS)
  • Holds primary responsibility for providing and maintaining guidance resources on digital accessibility
  • Provides guidance and consulting for complex accessibility challenges and related tools procurement
Information Technology, Student & Educational Technology Services (UWIT SETS
  • Provides tools to support instructors in creating accessible content, including Canvas, TidyUp, and Ally
UW Libraries<
  • Provides guidance and support for finding accessible reading materials
Campus Bookstores
  • Provides guidance and support for finding and procuring accessible versions of assigned course texts (e.g., textbooks, workbooks, e-textbooks)
Disability Resources for Students (DRS)
  • Responds to student accommodation requests, including those that involve digital accessibility of course materials

 

 6. Procedure Steps 

A. Provide tools and platforms 

  • Student & Educational Technology Services (UWIT SETS) provides Canvas LMS and supports platform accessibility. 
  • UWIT SETS and UWIT ATS provide tools and services to Instructors to support creating accessible content and remediating inaccessible content. 

B. Provide guidance and support 

  • Academic Strategy and Affairs (ASA) provides central support to Instructors for issues and technical troubleshooting through its Learning Technologies team. ASA develops self-access resources for Instructors on how to develop accessible digital content and shares them on the Teaching@UW website. To encourage Instructors to engage with these resources, ASA develops and disseminates communications, engages in outreach to Academic Units, faculty and faculty governance groups, and offers educational opportunities.
  • Academic Units provides local, unit- or discipline-specific guidance and support, if applicable.  
  • Civil Rights Compliance provides guidance on ADA digital accessibility compliance expectations, including requirements and exceptions.  
  • UWIT ATS provides guidance and consulting to Instructors to resolve complex accessibility challenges and offers educational opportunities. 
  • UW Libraries provides guidance and support for finding accessible reading materials.  
  • Campus Bookstores provide guidance and support for finding and procuring accessible versions of assigned course texts.  

C. Improve accessibility of digital course content  

  • Instructors follow Teaching@UW published guidance for Making course material accessible. 
  • Instructors seek guidance and support for complex accessibility challenges. 

D. Report unsolved accessibility challenges 

  • When content that is critical for a course cannot be made accessible, Instructors follow the Exception Procedure for Course Content

E. Improve accessibility for purchased or acquired digital tools  

  • Instructors follow the Procedure for Digital Product Accessibility Reviews when a new digital tool is used in a course or program.  
  • When required by the Procedure for Evaluating Scope and Risk of Acquired Products, Instructors follow the appropriate Exception Procedure to seek exceptions to use inaccessible tools or course content. 

7. Exceptions 

Limited exceptions may apply, including when:  

  • The digital content is not actively used in a service, program, or activity. 
  • Modifying or removing digital content would fundamentally alter the nature of a service, program, or activity. 
  • Technical or legal constraints prevent the content from being made directly accessible. 

Exceptions for use of digital tools are granted through the Exceptions to the Minimum Digital Accessibility Technical Standard for Web Applications and Mobile Apps.  

Exceptions for use of digital course content are granted through the Exception to the Minimum Digital Accessibility Technical Standard for Course Content [pending]. 

8. Compliance and Enforcement 

Compliance will be monitored and enforced according to the Compliance Monitoring procedure. 

9. Revision History 

Version Date Author Description
1.0 03/11/2026

Marcus Hirsch

Marisa Nickle

Beth Somerfield

 Initial release