August 26, 2025: Title II
Tip: You will hear “Title II” referenced a lot this year. Title II is part of the Americans with Disabilities Act and was revised in April of last year. In short, Title II requires that all public institutions (like WSU) meet specific standards for digital accessibility. These standards apply to all digital content, including web pages, emails, and electronic documents (including within D2L Brightspace).
September 9, 2025: Color Contrast
Tip: When designing digital content, make sure there's enough contrast between text and background colors. Low contrast can make it difficult for people with visual impairments or color blindness to read your content. Aim for a contrast ratio of at least 4½:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (18pt+ or 14pt bold). Use free tools like the WebAIM Contrast Checker to test your color choices.
September 23, 2025: DocHub
YuJa Panorama DocHub is a new accessibility tool available through D2L Brightspace and single sign-on. DocHub allows you to upload any file, check for accessibility issues, and resolve them. Check out the Knowledge Base for details and instructions. Note: Non-teaching faculty and staff will come into DocHub as "students". In order to use the remediation tools, TLT will need to switch your role. Please email TLT if you wish to do this.
October 7, 2025: Built-In Checkers
Did you know that all Microsoft tools have a built-in accessibility checker?! It is true! It is available for Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.
Using the accessibility checker is simple…
Step 1. Navigate to the Review menu in the toolbar and select Check Accessibility.
Step 2. Review and address the findings.
Note: The accessibility checkers do not catch all accessibility issues, manual review may still be necessary.
October 21, 2025: More Learning Opportunities
Do you want to learn more about digital accessibility? Here are some free courses you can take!
November 4, 2025: Editing Captions
Initial captions are automatically generated when videos are uploaded to MediaSpace. However, they may not be fully accurate. Editing captions in MediaSpace is simple!
To ensure the best recording quality, use a good microphone (like that built into your laptop), record in a quiet space, and speak clearly.
November 25, 2025: Using Descriptive Links
Descriptive text in hyperlinks is essential for clarity, accessibility, and usability. Instead of using vague phrases like “click here” or “read more”, descriptive links provide meaningful context about the destination. By also providing format type (like PDF, Word) or by letting users know that a new window will open, users will know example what they will get after clicking.
Use “Visit the WSU website (opens in a new window)” instead of “Click here to go to the WSU website”.
Use “Download the course syllabus (PDF)” instead of “Syllabus: www.syllabus.com”.
January 9, 2026: Adobe Pro