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Accessibility

The University of North Florida is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. Instructional materials distributed to students must be accessible at the time of publication. This is essential for people with disabilities and useful for all. We work with you to develop accessible courses and course materials proactively.

The Center for Instruction and Research Technology (CIRT) supports developing accessible courses and course materials proactively. We provide the following services:

  • Training on the creation of accessible documents and other course materials.
  • Individual consultation on document accessibility and course reviews.
  • A course accessibility checklist for self-review.
  • An accessibility checker, Ally, for Canvas Learning Management System files.
  • Information and services for captioning and transcripts of course media.

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Canvas

Creating accessible course content will save time in the long run. Accessible content improves the learning experience for all students, not just individuals with disabilities, as it meets the needs of various learning preferences. Content created in Canvas can be made accessible using the Rich Content Editor (RCE) and Canvas Studio. The default settings in Canvas already meet the minimum accessibility standards. As accessibility exists on a spectrum, there is always room to improve. 

  • Letter from the Provost

    Date: August 4, 2022

    To: All Faculty; All Adjuncts

    Colleagues,

    The University of North Florida is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. This commitment means that we continuously improve the accessibility of our campus, programs, and activities for individuals with disabilities and create an environment in which access to programs and facilities is seamless.

    Instructional materials distributed to students must be accessible at time of publication. This is essential for people with disabilities and useful for all. Making instructional materials accessible helps students with specific accommodations while also improving the experience for all students in a class. It’s the right thing to do.

    UNF’s Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy (6.0240P) requires that we ensure that no individual with a disability is excluded, denied services, segregated, or otherwise treated differently than other individuals. This applies to the use of web pages, web-based applications, and information technology to be used by UNF students, faculty members, and staff, including the Canvas Learning Management System and its integrations.

    The University has identified the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 as its standard for web content accessibility and provides a number of tools and services to assist instructors in providing accessible instructional materials and minimizing the need for academic accommodations, which are necessary when course materials are not accessible.

    The Center for Instruction and Research Technology (CIRT) is a resource for faculty to proactively develop accessible courses and course materials and provides the following services:

    • Training on the creation of accessible documents and other course materials.
    • Individual consultation on Document Accessibility and Course Reviews.
    • A Course Accessibility Checklist for self-review.
    • An accessibility checker, Ally, for files in the Canvas Learning
    • Information and services for captioning and transcripts of course media.

    For more information, visit CIRT’s Canvas Accessibility page or contact CIRT at 620- 3927 or cirtlab@unf.edu.

    The Student Accessibility Center (SAC) coordinates and ensures services and accommodations for registered students with disabilities and acts as a gateway for disability-related information and guidance. Those services include extended time on tests, note takers, sign language interpreters, the use of computers, calculators, spell check devices, alternate text, and assistive technology.

    For more information, visit SAC page or contact them at 620.2769 or SAC@unf.edu.

    Thank you for your commitment to serving all our students.

    Warm regards,

    Karen B. Patterson, PhD
    Provost and Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs

  • Course Checklist
    To help assure your course content is accessible, please refer to the Canvas Course Content Accessibility Checklist.
  • Ally
    Ally is an accessibility checker integrated into Canvas. This tool provides instructors with feedback on the accessibility of uploaded files and guidance to make those documents more accessible. This is gauged utilizing an accessibility score. Ally also automatically provides alternative formats for uploaded files, such as HTML, electronic Braille, and audio, available to students and instructors. Ally will be used to identify a baseline for the accessibility of courses and will allow UNF to continue providing a more inclusive learning environment for all students. Self-enroll in CIRT's Ally training course for more information.

Documents

Accessible documents are easier to understand and read for all users, not just users with disabilities. There are accessibility checkers built-in to Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe, but creating documents with accessibility in mind is a proactive way to save time. Tagging your document with headings, being mindful of color, and using conscious formatting techniques are just a few ways to make your documents more accessible to more people.

Multimedia

Adding videos and audio to your course enriches the learning experience for your students. But it’s important to ensure your multimedia content is accessible to everyone. The following practices and resources for captions and transcripts will help you create an equal and accessible user experience for all.

Student Accommodations

Student Accommodations are a vital resource for the success of students with disabilities at UNF. The Student Accessibility Center (SAC) is the student-facing accommodations office on campus; they are responsible for determining reasonable accommodations based on the student’s disabilities. As a faculty member, it is your responsibility to implement these accommodations. The resources below will guide you through some basic information about student accommodations so you can be successful in working with accommodations.
  • SAC Student Accommodations Do’s and Don’ts

    Be Sure To

    • Check your email for student’s accommodation letters. Read and confirm accommodation letter as soon as possible. Accommodations become applicable the day that the letter is sent to the professor.
    • Contact your students with accommodation letters by email or in office hours to confirm that you received the accommodation letter and clarify any concerns about the implementation of accommodations in your course.
    • Faculty should follow verbatim what is on the accommodation letter and contact SAC with any need for clarification.
    • Send exams to SAC as soon as possible to ensure that the exam is ready for the student at test time. Sending exams late can cause undue stress for students testing in SAC.
    • Contact SAC if a student complains about a lack of accommodation or incorrect implementation of an accommodation, as well as concerns about a hostile learning environment or feelings of disability-related discrimination.
    • Contact the Center for Instruction and Research Technology (CIRT) for accessibility assistance in an online course. CIRT is dedicated to assist faculty with developing accessible online course materials.
    • Create a positive learning space for all students. Ensure that other students are not creating a hostile/negative environment for a student with a disability.
    • Keep students’ identities and accommodations confidential.
    • Treat all students as capable and equal members of the class.
    • Think of ways in which you can reduce barriers in the classroom and online learning environment.
    • Make the student feel included in the group dynamic.
    • Take the SAC Faculty Resources Canvas Course! This will help you get a better understanding of the accommodations provided by SAC to students and how you can work with them in your classroom.

    Avoid

    • Identifying the student with a disability or discuss the student’s disability in public.
    • Sharing the instructor view of the testing screen on canvas, this will show students who have accommodations for that quiz or test.
    • Asking the student what is wrong with them or say “you do not look disabled”.
    • Assuming a student has a disability. If you are concerned about a student, share various campus resources with them such as Student Academic Success Services, Student Health Services, the Counseling Center, and the Student Accessibility Center.
    • Making comments in the classroom that may allude to a student’s disability status. Examples – John you may now go the SAC office to take your exam. B. John will you need additional time on this exam? C. John needs a notetaker, do we have any volunteers?
    • Recommending to students that an accommodation is not necessary for your course.
    • Shortening the accommodated exam time.
    • Attempting to persuade a student to take the exam in class rather than in the SAC Testing Center. This should always be the student’s choice.
    • Asking a student “what is wrong with you?” or “why do you need these accommodations?”
    • Interfering with a CART provider who is transcribing in your course. Do not ask them to stop transcribing. This is halting the communication for the Deaf student receiving these services.
  • Accommodating Extra Time on Assessments in Canvas

    If you have a student that requires extra time on assessments, please review the following guide for Adding Extra Assessment Time in Canvas.

  • Accommodating Different Due Date on Assignments in Canvas

    If you have a student that requires extra time on assignments, please review the following guide for Assigning Extra time on Assignments in Canvas.

  • SAC’s Faculty Resources Self Enroll Course

    Resources available to prepare you for supporting a student requiring reasonable accommodations. Please enroll with the following link: SAC Faculty Resource Canvas Sign Up