Postsecondary Course Accessibility Guide

Abstract

The Postsecondary Course Accessibility Guide presents criteria to review the accessibility of university or college courses and other forms of instruction (e.g., labs, tutorials). In preparation for the arrival of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Postsecondary Education Standards, the Guide’s criteria are based on AODA Standards and Postsecondary Education Standards recommendations, the Ontario Human Rights Commission, and Level AA guidelines from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.

The Postsecondary Course Accessibility Guide website includes downloadable Word or fillable PDF Guide, the Guide’s Reference Manual, and additional accessibility resources. This resource is provided in both English and French.

The Guide goes beyond a simple checklist; each accessibility criteria on the Guide includes a link to the Reference Manual which provides clarification of the criteria (i.e., definitions, rationale, examples of impact, sources for the criteria) and information on how to meet the criteria.

Instructors and instructional support specialists can use the Postsecondary Course Accessibility Guide to identify how a course already meets accessibility requirements, where accessibility gaps can be addressed, and where institutional support or change is needed.

The Guide’s accessibility criteria are grouped into 5 sections: Section 1: Course Outline -- Section 2: Course Organization and Navigation -- Section 3: Course Materials -- Section 4: Communication Barriers -- Section 5: Physical Learning Spaces

Peer reviews and user experience testing were conducted on drafts of the Guide with instructors, instructional support staff, students, and subject matter experts in accessibility. Participants included individuals with and without disabilities, in a variety of disciplines (STEM and non-STEM) from Ontario universities and colleges.

Under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license, users can customize the Postsecondary Course Accessibility Guide to their institution (e.g., refer to their institution’s learning management system and student accessibility services by name, link to their institution’s policies, instructional support resources).