Accessibility
The intentional practice of ensuring that people have equitable access to spaces, services, resources, and opportunities, regardless of ability. This legal (and cultural) obligation guarantees equal access to things in both physical and digital environments. It also complies with national and international standards.
Accommodation
Adjustments provided to individual students (e.g., extended time, note-taking support).
Alt Text (Alternative Text)
A short written description of an image, chart, or graphic that screen readers can read aloud. Helps visually impaired users understand visual content.
Assistive Technology
Tools used by individuals with disabilities to access digital content (e.g., screen readers, voice recognition software, screen magnifiers).
Captioning (Closed Captions)
Text synchronized with video that represents spoken dialogue and important sounds.
Color Contrast
The difference in brightness between text and background colors; sufficient contrast ensures readability for users with low vision.
Keyboard Accessibility
Designing content and interfaces so they can be fully navigated using a keyboard instead of a mouse.
Remediation
Revisiting existing digital content and taking steps to identify issues and correct them so that the content meets the standards of accessibility compliance.
Screen Reader
Software that reads digital content aloud for users who are blind or have low vision (e.g., JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver).
Semantic Structure
Using proper headings, lists, and labels so content has meaningful organization for both humans and assistive technologies.
Transcripts
Text versions of audio content, such as lectures or podcasts.
WCAG
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are an internationally recognized set of technical guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium that define how to make web content accessible to people with varying abilities.