Course Management Systems and Accessibility

How Accessible is Your CMS?

Universities and Technical Colleges use a variety of course management systems for online learning. Increased use of distance education such as online classes has made postsecondary education a possibility to students living in rural areas and fulltime employees. However, these distance learning classes can also easily become a barrier for students with disabilities. If the materials used in courses such as Word, PowerPoint, and PDF documents are not made accessible or the CMS itself is not accessible, students with disabilities are losing this educational opportunity.

See the links below to learn more about the accessibility features available in commonly-used Course Management Systems such as D2L, WebCT, and Blackboard. Other alternatives that use XML can also provide an accessible backdrop for online learning.

• Desire to Learn (D2L)
• WebCT
• Blackboard
• Angel
• A-Tutor

Need Help with Your Office Documents?

If you would like more information on how to make the content on your CMS accessible, go to our Tutorials section and walk through our specific tutorials on MS Word, Powerpoint, and PDF documents or view the Office Documents Webcast.