Instructional Materials Accessibility Checklists

Checklist Purpose

This checklist applies to both brand new courses and courses with substantial changes starting June 2010. For brand new courses, these checklist items can be considered as guidelines to be followed, as appropriate, at the time your course will be offered. The checklist will apply for existing courses at the point of course redesign or when a student with a disability enrolls in the course.

Instructions

Review your course materials for each of the checklist items indicated below and check off items you have completed or plan to complete when the course is offered.

Syllabus and Syllabus Templates

  • Provide your syllabus in electronic format (e.g. as a Google Doc, posted to a CI Learn course or via another web server).
  • Updated accessible syllabus templates coming soon. Please review the collection of helpful syllabus resources available to CI faculty.
  • If you have questions about your syllabus please email, tlinnovations@csuci.edu

Information on how to create accessible word and PDF documents is available at:

  • Accessibility Resources
  • Accessibility Workshops and Training
  • Or, download an Accessible Syllabus Template (Coming soon) from the Instructional Materials - Templates webpage
  • Edit the Syllabus and Add Your Own Information
  • Always include the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) of the textbook(s) on your syllabus.
  • The ISBN number can be used to search for textbooks online and facilitates the process of locating alternate formats of textbooks.

Textbooks

  1. Submit your textbook information by the deadline dates:
    1. According to the Academic Senate of CSU Channel Islands Resolution on the Timely Adoption of Text-Based Materials for Students with Disabilities, "Textbook requests shall be submitted no later than two weeks before the end of finals week in the spring semester for courses the following fall semester, and four weeks before the end of finals week in the fall semester for the following spring semester." The Disability Accommodations and Support Services (DASS) provides books in alternate formats (e-text, audio, Braille) for eligible students. It can take up to 10 weeks to secure or produce a textbook in an alternate format. Keep in mind that course readers (hardcopy or electronic) can be especially difficult to produce in an alternate format if they have underlining, hand-written notes, highlighting, cut-off margins or poor-quality copies.
    2. Textbook information should be submitted regardless of whether or not the book is a free download. Textbook information also should be submitted regardless of where the book can be purchased or rented (Amazon.com, Chegg.com, Barnes & Noble, etc.).
  2. Provide your syllabus to the Alternative Media Program to help expedite the processing of textbook chapters into accessible formats. You can send your syllabus to alternative.media@csuci.edu.

Course Readers

  1. Do you plan on using course readers in your class?
    1. Gather the necessary information and materials. If the course reader will be composed of journal articles or any other content, make sure that there is an electronic version of the course reader materials. Ensuring that there is an electronic version available will facilitate the conversion of these materials into alternate formats if it is needed.
    2. Think about what service you will use to publish your course reader(s). If you plan on using publishing services, look into their submission deadline dates so that you can plan in advance to have your materials published 8 weeks prior to the first day of class.
    3. Obtain permission from the publisher of the print content such as articles, journals etc. that you plan on using in your course readers/ course packs.
    1. No, I will not use a course reader. Skip to the Library Electronics Reserves checklist category.
    2. Yes, I will use a course reader. Complete checklist items below.

Library Electronic Reserves (E-Reserves)

  1. Do you plan on using the Library Electronic Reserves service?
    1. Visit the library's More Information about Course Reserves webpage for detailed submission and guidelines information.
    2. Please submit materials two weeks prior to the start of the semester in order to ensure immediate access by your students.
    3. Whenever possible choose materials from publishers and journals that provide accessible electronic content.
    4. Obtain permission from the publisher of the print, video or audio content you will be putting up on electronic reserves.
    1. No, I will not use E-Reserves. Skip to the CI Learn Based Courses checklist category.
    2. Yes, I will use E-Reserves. Complete checklist items below.

CI Learn Based Courses

Do you plan on offering a course or post course materials via CI Learn, the campus learning management system?

  1. No, I will not use CI Learn. Skip to the Faculty Website checklist category.
  2. Yes, I will use CI Learn. 
    1. Ensure that all course materials are accessible (e.g. properly tagged PDFS, captioned videos, alt-text for images, etc..)
    2. If you have questions about making your course accessible, visit the FIT Studio (Solano 1201) or email tlinnovations@csuci.edu 

Faculty Website

  1. Do you plan on developing a Faculty Website using CI Keys that you will use to post course materials?
    1. Learn about website accessibility guidelines and resources by visiting the Web Services Web Style Guide webpage .
    2. To get started visit the CI Keys Support Site
    3. If you have questions about building your faculty website, visit the FIT Studio (Solano 1201) 
    1. No, I will not use a Faculty Website. Skip to the Multimedia Course Materials checklist category.
    2. Yes, I will use a Faculty Website. Complete checklist items below.

Multimedia Course Materials

  1. Do you plan on using video and/or audio based materials in your course?
    1. Multimedia with captions or subtitles: Check if closed captions or subtitles are available on your multimedia (audio/video) based course materials such as DVD movies, VHS tapes, CD's, audio/video podcasts, audio/video lectures, and other audio/video materials. If the library owns the video and you wish to have it streamed in your course, fill out the Multimedia Reserve Request Form.  If the library does not own the video and you would like to request it for purchase, please fill out the Request a Purchase Form. 
    2. Multimedia without captions or subtitles: If captions & subtitles are not available, provide a transcript for the video based materials you use.
    3. Multimedia without captions, subtitles or available transcripts: If both captions and transcripts are not available for your multimedia, establish a plan so that students who cannot access the video content, can access the same information via an alternate method.
    1. No, I will not use video and/or audio based materials. Skip to the Handouts checklist category.
    2. Yes, I will use video and/or audio based materials. Complete checklist items below.

Handouts

  1. If you are providing handouts for your course, please consider the following:
    1. Integrate accessibility elements into the design of the course materials you create so that students using assistive technology (screen readers, magnification software, scan/read software, etc.) can access the information.
    2. Visit the Accessibility Workshops and Training to obtain information to help you create accessible instructional materials.
    3. If you have questions about making your handouts accessible, visit the FIT Studio (Solano 1201) or email tlinnovations@csuci.edu 
  1. Do you plan on distributing course materials that are handwritten or that have handwriting on them in any form?
    1. Establish a plan to provide an equal alternate format of the handwritten materials if they are not accessible to a student with a disability enrolled in your course.
    1. No, I will not distribute course materials that are handwritten or that have handwriting on them in any form. Skip to the Training checklist category.
    2. Yes, I will distribute course materials that are handwritten or that have handwriting on them in some way. Complete checklist items below.
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