Online Digital Accessibility

Universal Usability of Technology

Technology is an integral part of our day to day activities. It is of the utmost importance that the technologies we implement are in line with and support the College's mission of providing online services, software, and electronic information that is accessible and usable by all of our students.

All people use technology and all technology can be assistive.

Accommodations are not the same as Accessibility

Accommodations are an important part of our accessibility plan and issued on a case-by-case basis for a plethora of reasons. In the ever changing world of technology, persons with disabilities may face many unanticipated challenges. 

Accommodations are a reactive approach upon request when a student or staff member comes across an obstacle. It is not a one size fits all approach. The accommodation is tailored to the need and request.

Accessibility on the other hand is a proactive approach that removes many challenges without the need for an accommodation. Some may perceive a stigma associated with an accommodation and others may need access to information right away or some may not know they need an accommodation.  accessibility enhances the content for all students.

We use both accommodations and accessibility in an effort to cover as many situations and circumstances that may arise.

Principles of Accessibility

There are four principles of accessibility that can impact content for documents, presentations, labs, and online content for Blackboard Learn courses. Best practices are set forth in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG). The four Principles of Accessibility are:

• Perceivable - Information must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.
  • Information being presented can't be invisible to some users.
• Operable - User interface components and navigation must be operable.
  • This means that all users must be able to navigate a document or site.
• Understandable - Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable.
  • Users must be able to understand the information as well as how elements like video players and web links operate.
• Robust - Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.
  • This includes mobile devices and different screen sizes as well as assistive tools.

Schedule a Virtual Session with one our our Instructional Designers.

Training Videos

Workshops in Compass

If you are a student and would like to request accommodations or assistance related to a disability, please contact the Student Accessibility Services or email at CCCSAS@TRI-C.EDU.

If you are an employee and would like to request accommodations or assistance related to a disability, please contact the Office of Human Resources.

Setting Course-Wide Accommodations:

• Easily apply accommodations for all quizzes in the course from the Classlist. These accommodations will be automatically applied to every quiz.

Setting Accommodations for Specific Assessments:

• Customize accommodations for individual quizzes or assignments directly from the Quiz or Assignment tool. Tailor settings for specific students' needs.

Adjusting Quiz Accommodations:

• Modify timing and control settings for quizzes, such as extending time limits or enabling right-clicks, to accommodate diverse learning needs.

Filtering Accommodated Students:

• Quickly filter the Classlist to display students with accommodations for easy tracking and cross-referencing.

Utilizing Special Access:

• Grant special access to select students for quizzes or assignments, allowing for alternate due dates, extended access windows, and more.

Editing and Removing Accommodations:

• Easily edit or remove accommodations for quizzes and assignments to ensure accuracy and flexibility.

Streamlining Accommodation Management:

• View students with special access accommodations directly within quizzes and assignments, simplifying accommodation tracking and management.

For detailed instructions, tips and tricks, visit our Brightspace Faculty How To Articles.

In our commitment to ensuring inclusive education for all students, we kindly remind everyone to utilize accessibility checkers when creating content for your courses. The majority of software applications, including those provided by the College such as Microsoft Desktop Products, Microsoft 365 Online, Blackboard and D2L, offer built-in accessibility checkers. Additionally, Adobe Products also feature accessibility tools.

Before finalizing your content, please take a moment to run accessibility checks using these tools to ensure that all students, regardless of their abilities, can fully engage with the material. 

Use the Accessibility Checker

For detailed instructions, tips and tricks, visit our Training Videos.

At ID&LE, we proudly offer support for our digital products, including Anthology's Ally software and ReadSpeaker software, seamlessly integrated into our Learning Management System (LMS).

Additionally, our Student Accessibility Services Office provides an extensive range of assistive technology tools, subject to change, to meet diverse needs. Our offerings include:

Closed Circuit TV (CCTV), Dragon Naturally Speaking, digital recorders, Franklin Speaking Dictionary, Franklin Spell Checker, hand magnifiers, JAWS, Kensington Trackball Mouse, Kurzweil 1000 and 3000, manual wheelchairs, Perkins Brailler, Phonic Ear, Reading Edge, Talking Calculator, TTY, and ZoomText.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all learners can thrive.

In the event that you are unable to access materials online and have contacted our helpdesk@tri-c.edu without resolution to your concern, you may contact the Office of Institutional Access to file a complaint.