Blackboard Course Accessibility Checklist – Assistive Technology Initiative

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ATI encourages professors to utilize the following checklist to evaluate Blackboard courses for accessibility.

0.0 – Syllabus and Textbooks/Course Readings (Required and Supplemental)

Textbooks/Course Readings Checklist

Textbooks/Course Readings

Yes

N/A

0.1

Is an electronic equivalent provided for all print reading materials?

Check *WorldCAT if an electronic copy is available — Not required.

0.2

Do all web articles/readings have a PDF/Word version available?

Syllabus Checklist

ID	Syllabus	Yes	No	N/A
0.3	Does the course syllabus include the most updated disability statement and updated contact information, e.g. ODS, DS or Disability Services? Check the *Designing Your Syllabus website for example statements.
0.4	Does the instructor offer multiple formats/options to access the syllabus? At least two of the following: Word, PDF, and/or inside Bb course shell.
0.5	Do all links have descriptive text, rather than just a URL (link text Google Search, not www.google.com)? If printable document, then write out full URL; If inside Bb course shell, then add descriptive text instead of full URL.
0.6	If tables are used, do they have row and/or column headers? Use simple tables — 1 column for row headers, 1 row for column headers, no merged cells, no empty cells. Example of table headers:

1.0 – Blackboard Learn Accessibility Checklist

Course Site Links Checklist

ID	Course Site Links	Yes	No	N/A
1.1	Do all URLs contain descriptive hyperlinks (i.e., avoid generic phrases like “Click here” and, instead, use phrases that let users know about the content of the linked page prior to selecting it, like ‘ATI website’)? If printable document, then write out full URL; If inside Bb course shell, then add descriptive text instead of full URL.
1.2	Are all URLs (including email addresses) keyboard accessible and linked to correct Web destinations? Can you use the TAB key on the keyboard to move to each of the links and then press ENTER to open them?
1.3	Are all unused buttons and/or tools hidden or removed? Remove unused links on main course menu in Bb and hide all unused tools in Tool area.

Course Site Color

Yes

N/A

1.4

Is all of the text easy to read in comparison to the background of the course site (i.e., has a color-contrast ratio of 4.5:1 or higher)?

- Use *Colour Contrast Analyser to check color contrast ratio. Focus on Luminosity Tab in Colour Contrast Analyser.

Course Site Layout and Formatting

ID	Course Site Layout and Formatting	Yes	No	N/A
1.5	Course site uses consistent navigation, tab order, and appropriate language level (e.g., Weekly Learning Objective, Readings, Mini-Lecture, Simulations, Assignments)? Consistent Navigation – Structure of the content is consistent from one module to the next. Tab Order – When using TAB Key on keyboard, focus moves Left to Right, Top-to-Bottom. Appropriate language – Consistent with level of course (lack of slang, text-ese, etc.).
1.6	Are course elements and controls keyboard accessible? Can you use the TAB key on the keyboard to move to each of the controls (e.g., search fields, checkboxes, buttons, links, etc.) and then press ENTER to open them?
1.7	Course site uses header tags to promote easier navigation (e.g., Heading 1, Heading 2)? In Bb text area, when adding headings and sub-headings, use Heading and Sub Heading tags under Paragraph dropdown menu on Toolbar.
1.8	Quizzes, surveys, tests are designed using Bb’s built-in features? Yes – Due to the challenges that screen-reader users encounter navigating different types of questions (e.g., short answer, multiple choice, T/F, etc.), it is recommended that faculty members chunk the same types of questions together. No — (Are you using Respondus Monitor or Lockdown Browser?) – if Yes, then post *Respondus accessibility information in your course.
1.9	Quizzes, surveys, tests —question types (e.g., multiple choice, short answer, fill-in the blank) are consistent and in proper tab order? Consistent – Question types are chunked Tab Order – When using TAB Key on keyboard, focus moves Left to Right, Top-to-Bottom

Course Tools Checklist

ID	Course Tools	Yes	No	N/A
1.10	Grade Center columns use consistent, coherent reading order?
1.11	Instructor uses Bb Collaborate for instruction? If yes, please provide the Bb Collaborate Accessibility Guide for Moderators link to the instructor. Ask the instructor to post the Bb Accessibility Guide for Participants link in their course for students.
1.12	Instructor uses Bb Collaborate for remote office hours? If yes, please provide the Bb Collaborate Accessibility Guide for Moderators link to the instructor. Ask the instructor to post the Bb Accessibility Guide for Participants link in their course for students.
1.13	Instructor uses Virtual Chat for remote office hours? If yes, suggest instructor use accessible alternative like Skype, Google Hangouts, or Bb Collaborate.

2.0 – Supplemental Applications

3rd Party Tools Checklist

ID	3rd Party Tools	Yes	No	N/A
2.1	Does the course utilize 3rd-party applications like Pearson MyLabs, McGraw-Hill Connect, etc. in addition to or to replace Blackboard? • Supplemental applications like Pearson MyLabs and McGraw-Hill Connect pose accessibility challenges for students with visual and/or hearing impairments (i.e., not keyboard accessible, videos not captioned, etc.). Faculty members who require use of these materials without providing alternative means for accessing these instructional resources, leave the university open to legal challenges.
2.2	Does the course utilize 3rd-party websites? If yes, the instructor should submit the website through an ATI Request for Services to be tested for accessibility.
2.3	Does the course utilize 3rd party applications through the design of the Blackboard course, such as, Yammer, VoiceThread, Voki, Drupal, Popplet, Google docs, etc.? If yes, the instructor should link to any accessibility-related resources for these tools, for example: VoiceThread Accessibility Google Docs Accessibility The ATI Office can provide assistance to any faculty and/or students that require support with learning to use or access these resources.

3.0 – Word Accessibility Checklist

Word Links Checklist

Word Links

Yes

N/A

3.1

Do all URLs contain descriptive hyperlinks?

Avoid generic phrases like “Click here”. Instead, use phrases that let users know about the content of the linked page prior to selecting it, like ‘ATI website’.
If printable document, then write out full URL; If inside Bb course shell, then add descriptive text instead of full URL

3.2

Are all URLs (including email addresses) keyboard accessible and linked to correct Web destinations?

Can you use the TAB key on the keyboard to move to each of the links and then press ENTER to open them?

Word Color Checklist

Word Color

Yes

N/A

3.3

Is all of the text easy to read in comparison to the background of the document?

Color-contrast ratio of 4.5:1 or higher.
Use *Colour Contrast Analyser to check color contrast ratio. Focus on Luminosity Tab in Colour Contrast Analyser.

Word Layout and Format Checklist

Word Layout and Format

Yes

N/A

3.4

Has the document been formatted using Style elements (Heading 1, Heading 2)?

Using Styles (heading elements) provides a Table of Contents for screen-reader users.
Without Styles, students are not able to navigate from one section of the document to another. They must navigate one-word/one sentence at a time or search for specific strings of text to try to figure out the document’s content.

Word Images Checklist

Word Images

Yes

N/A

3.5

Is the document free of background images or watermarks?

Impacts ability of students with low vision to read document text.

3.6

Do all images, grouped images, complex images (i.e., pictures of charts, graphs, and tables), and non-text elements (i.e., text-formatted as an image – like in a comic strip) that convey information have meaningful alternative-text descriptions (e.g., immediately after the image, via captions, appendix, etc.?)

Screen-reading applications are not able to identify what is in an image. The purpose of alt-text is to provide a brief explanation or description of the image for the screen-reading application.

Word Tables

ID	Word Tables	Yes	No	N/A
3.7	Were all tables created using the table option within Word (as opposed to manual tabs and/or spaces)? Without using the table function in Word, the screen-reading application is unable to relate the data in the “table” to the column and row headings. This can be confusing for students with visual and/or cognitive/learning challenges.
3.8	Do the column headers consist of only one row? Correct table header layout: Incorrect table header layout:
3.9	Is the table free of merged cells? Example of a table with merged cells:
3.10	If the table spans more than one page, has the header been identified by checking the checkbox (Header row) found in the table properties dialog box. Just copying the header row does not accomplish this. You must do the following: Mac OSX Highlight the header row. Click the Table Layout tab. Click Repeat Headers. PC (Windows) Highlight the header row. Click Table Tools. Click the Layout tab. Click Repeat Header Rows.
3.11	Does the table have a caption to tell the user what information is contained in the table? Without a caption, a screen-reader user will encounter the table data first without any summary information as to what is in the table. How to add a caption (Mac OSX/PC): Right-click on the table. Click Insert Caption. Enter caption text. Choose a Label. Choose a Position (choose Above Selected Item). Click OK.

4.0 – PowerPoint Accessibility Checklist

PPT Links Checklist

PPT Links

Yes

N/A

4.1

Do all URLs contain descriptive hyperlinks?

Avoid generic phrases like “Click here”. Instead, use phrases that let users know about the content of the linked page prior to selecting it, like ‘ATI website’.
If printable document, then write out full URL; If inside Bb course shell, then add descriptive text instead of full URL

4.2

Are all URLs (including email addresses) keyboard accessible and linked to correct Web destinations?

Can you use the TAB key on the keyboard to move to each of the links and then press ENTER to open them?

PPT Color Checklist

PPT Color

Yes

N/A

4.3

Is all of the text easy to read in comparison to the background of the document?

- Color-contrast ratio of 4.5:1 or higher.
- Use *Colour Contrast Analyser to check color contrast ratio. Focus on Luminosity Tab in Colour Contrast Analyser.

PPT Layout and Format Checklist

ID	PPT Layout and Format	Yes	No	N/A
4.4	Can all slide text be viewed in the Outline View? PPT’s default view is Normal View. Click on Outline View. Make sure that all of the Slide text shows in the outline. If it does not, then the screen-reader user cannot read that text.
4.5	Is there a unique title for each slide? Screen-reading applications access the slide title first when reading through PPT slides. Slide titles with the same name can be confusing as a student may think that they are still on the same slide.
4.6	Do all of the slides avoid using text boxes or graphics with text within them (i.e., text-formatted as an image – like in a comic strip)? Use the built-in slide templates provided in MS PPT. If you create your own text boxes, screen-reading applications will be unable to read text from text-boxes or text embedded in images.
4.7	Is the list style being used as opposed to manually typed characters (e.g. Hyphens, numbers, or graphics)? Using the Bulleted List & Numbered List tools that are built into MS PPT ensures that a screen-reading application properly identifies those elements.
4.8	Is the presentation free of SmartArt? SmartArt graphics are inaccessible to screen-reading applications. Faculty member should provide an alternative method for students to access this information (e.g., write out an explanation in the Notes section of slide).

PPT Images Checklist

ID	PPT Images	Yes	No	N/A
4.9	Is the document free of background images or watermarks? Impacts ability of students with low vision to read document text.
4.10	Are multiple associated images on the same page (e.g., boxes in an organizational chart) grouped as one object? If several smaller images are used in a slide to make up one larger image, it is recommended that all images be grouped together as an object. To do this: Select all of the smaller images, including lines, arrows, etc. (Mac – Hold down Cmd key and click on each of the items making up larger image, PC – Hold down Ctrl key and click on each item). Right-click on selected items (Mac – Press Ctrl + Click). Select Grouping. Click Group. <li Screen-reading applications will attempt to read each individual image. If the images were grouped together, then the instructor would only have to describe the one larger image as opposed to each individual image
4.11	Do all images, grouped images, complex images (i.e., pictures of charts, graphs, and tables), and non-text elements (i.e., text-formatted as an image – like in a comic strip) that convey information have meaningful alternative-text descriptions (e.g., immediately after the image, via captions, appendix, etc.)? Screen-reading applications are not able to identify what is in an image. The purpose of alt-text is to provide a brief explanation or description of the image for the screen-reading application.

PPT Tables Checklist

ID	PPT Tables	Yes	No	N/A
4.12	Were all tables created using the table option within Word (as opposed to manual tabs and/or spaces)? Without using the table function in Word, the screen-reading application is unable to relate the data in the “table” to the column and row headings. This can be confusing for students with visual and/or cognitive/learning challenges.
4.13	Do the column headers consist of only one row? Correct table header layout: Incorrect table header layout:
4.14	Is the table free of merged cells? Example of a table with merged cells:
4.15	If the table spans more than one page, has the header been identified by checking the checkbox (Header row) found in the table properties dialog box? Just copying the header row does not accomplish this. You must do the following: Mac OSX Highlight the header row. Click the Table Layout tab. Click Repeat Headers. PC (Windows) Highlight the header row. Click Table Tools. Click the Layout tab. Click Repeat Header Rows.
4.16	Does the table have a caption to tell the user what information is contained in the table? Without a caption, a screen-reader user will encounter the table data first without any summary information as to what is in the table. How to add a caption (Mac OSX/PC): Right-click on the table. Click Insert Caption. Enter caption text. Choose a Label. Choose a Position (choose Above Selected Item). Click OK.
4.17	Do all tables have a logical reading order from left to right, top to bottom?
4.18	In table properties, is “Allow row to break across pages” unchecked? To check this: Mac OSX Click anywhere in the table. Click the Table Layout tab. Click Properties. Click the Row tab. Make sure that the checkbox ‘Allow row to break across pages’ is unchecked. PC (Windows) Click anywhere in the table. Click Table Tools. Click the Layout tab. Click Properties. Click the Row tab. Make sure that the checkbox ‘Allow row to break across pages’ is unchecked.

5.0 – PDF Accessibility Checklist

PDF General Layout and Format Checklist

PDF General Layout and Format

Yes

N/A

5.1

Can the document text be highlighted using a standard mouse cursor?

As long as the instructor can select the text in the document using the mouse cursor, then it is readable (not fully accessible) to text-to-speech and screen-reading applications.
For instructor-created content, it is recommended that the documents are first created in Word, checked for accessibility, and then converted into a PDF format.
Submit a Request for Services form to ATI for an accessible PDF.

5.2

Is the document free of handwritten notes, underlines, comments, edits, etc.?

PDF documents with handwritten notes, underlines, comments, and edits are not easily converted into readable PDF documents. Cleaning up these files requires additional manual work by an accessibility expert.

6.0 – Multimedia File (Audio/Video) Accessibility Checklist

Multimedia Links Checklist

Multimedia Links

Yes

N/A

6.1

Do all URLs contain descriptive hyperlinks (i.e., avoid generic phrases like “Click here” and, instead, use phrases that let users know about the content of the linked page prior to selecting it, like ‘ATI website’)?

If printable document, then write out full URL; If inside Bb course shell, then add descriptive text instead of full URL

6.2

Are all URLs (including email addresses) keyboard accessible and linked to correct Web destinations?

Can you use the TAB key on the keyboard to move to each of the links and then press ENTER to open them?

Captions and Transcripts Checklist

ID	Captions and Transcripts	Yes	No	N/A
6.3	If a video—Does the video or animation contain synchronized captioning? For additional information on ATI’s captioning and transcription services, visit ATI’s Accessible Media webpage.
6.3.1	If captioned, are the captions accurate? The Auto-captions feature from YouTube is often not very accurate. *YouTube’s Auto-captions Failed Attempts
6.4	If an animation—Does the animation have a text equivalent? Instructor should provide a matching text transcript.
6.5	If a sound file—Does the sound file have a matching transcript file? Instructor should provide a matching text transcript.

Function Controls Checklist

ID	Function Controls	Yes	No	N/A
6.6	Do the video platforms used in the course have the minimum required media controls of video resizing, volume control, play/stop buttons, and the ability to turn captions on and off? It is recommended that instructors host all of their video content (excluding library-owned/licensed content) in the Kaltura Platform within Bb.
6.7	Are all media controls keyboard accessible? Can you use the TAB key on the keyboard to move to each of the controls on the video player and then press ENTER to activate them? Another alternative would be that all video player controls are accessible via keyboard shortcuts (e.g., Ctrl + Up Arrow to increase volume)
6.8	Is the media embedded in a way that allows the user to use keyboard controls to move in and out of the video in relation to surrounding content? Can the user use the TAB key to navigate to the embedded video, access all of the controls on the video platform, and then continue to navigate outside of the video to the rest of the content hosted in the Bb course. Some video players may be keyboard traps – i.e., pressing the TAB key repeated cycles the focus through all of the controls on the video player without allowing the user to move back into the Bb course.