Riverside Community College Logo
Hero Image
Faculty

Accessibility

Statement on Accessibility

The Americans with Disa​bilities Act sections ADA 504 & ​ADA 508 in addition to multiple CA Government Codes require all online content to be 100% accessible to all students and all video captions to be 100% accurate. Per CA State and RCCD's Chancellors' mandates, RCCD faculty are responsible to ensure that all course content and materials meet these standards. Some students may need additional accommodations and assistance from both their instructor and DSS/DRC support staff. District DE is here to help faculty improve the accessibility of their course content; please contact the Accessible Technology and Media Coordinator for ways we can help you fix your content.

White House Memorandum On Strengthening Digital Accessibility 

The White House has issued a memorandum outlining steps to strengthen digital accessibility. The memo emphasizes the importance of making digital content accessible to everyone. These strategies can improve delivery of higher education digital content.

The strategies outlined in the memo include establishing and maintaining accessibility programs. This includes designating a staff member or team to oversee accessibility efforts, as well as developing policies and procedures to ensure that all digital content is accessible. The memo also encourages training on accessibility best practices.  

RCCD Distance Education has staff to assist faculty with online course accessibility. We offer one-on-one appointments, training on accessibility strategies and requirements, training on tools and technology, extensive guides and resources, Q&A sessions, and also occasional evening and weekend support hours.  

This is an important step forward in promoting inclusion and also equity for students with disabilities. It follows a previous White House memo that updated DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) to DEIA, adding accessibility. 

By following these strategies, we hope to ensure that all students have equal access to course materials and faculty have the knowledge and support they need to deliver that educational experience.
 

Accessibility FAQs​

These are some of the top questions faculty ask about accessibility. The full FAQ is available at the Accessibility Training Course (details about this course are explained in the Accessibility Resources section below). ​

Am I required by law to make my content accessible? Why am I just now hearing about this?

Yes. Those of us promoting accessibility are wondering the same thing; it has been the law since 1973 with an expansion in 1990. The reality is that education has moved online relatively recently, and lawsuits are starting to come down on colleges and districts for having inaccessible websites and using inaccessible course materials and publisher content. As these lawsuits grow and become more high profile, these requirements are starting to get more and more attention.

I'm not tech savvy. How am I supposed to know how to make my stuff accessible?

 

As an online instructor, you probably already have the skills needed to make content accessible - i.e. selecting text, creating hyperlinks, using style headings, etc. However, if you need assistance, please make an appointment with our Accessible Technology and Media Coordinator for assistance or submit a document you'd like to have made accessible to the document repair form.

I don't create my course content, but get it from a publisher. Who's responsible for accessibility in this case?

​Faculty are responsible for the accessibility of the content they use --- even if it was created by someone else such as publisher. While we would hope publishers would make accessible content, if they don't, liability falls on you (and/or your institution) for selecting and requiring inaccessible content. This is why it's so important to ask about accessibility and compatibility with assistive technology prior to selecting a textbook and/or instructional technology.

Another thing to consider when using publisher content and publisher platforms/websites is that it can be difficult or impossible to edit or fix the materials. In some cases, you may be able to make changes to improve accessibility, but in others you may not. We recommend that you research this before ordering and requiring students to purchase a textbook or a textbook/course code.

 

Accessibility Assistance

Help is available! The Accessible Technology and Media Coordinator can address your questions and concerns and also offer technical with making your Canvas course and documents accessible. Here are several pathways faculty can get assistance:

      • Make an appointment -- Our Bookings page allows you to book an appointment to get help via Zoom. Also check out our appointment scheduling page which offers an overview of meeting options. If the available meeting time slots are not convenient, please get in touch to schedule at a more convenient time.
      • Document repair request -- Submit an inaccessible document (such as PDF, Word, PowerPoint) for remediation.
      • Contact the Accessible Technology and Media Coordinator -- If you prefer to get in touch directly rather than scheduling a meeting, here are some contact options:
        • Contact by email
        • Contact by phone: 951-222-8696

​

​Accessibility Resources

Faculty can explore support resources that take the guess-work out of accessibility. These resources include:

  • Accessibility Training Course  -- A Canvas course designed for RCCD faculty. Learn the basics of what to do and how to do it to make your own Canvas courses and documents fully compliant.
  • Workshops (Live) -- Keep an eye on our workshops announcements for upcoming trainings on accessibility.

 

Video Library (Accessibility)

Check out all of our recorded accessibility workshops, webinars, and tutorials.