Accessible Course Content for all UC Berkeley Students
At UC Berkeley, we want every student to be able to engage fully with their coursework from the moment they open a reading, watch a video, or log into bCourses. Accessibility is simply part of creating a learning environment where all students can participate, succeed, and feel included.
We know that instructors juggle many responsibilities, and making course content accessible can feel unfamiliar or overwhelming at first. This hub is designed to make that process easier. Here, you’ll find clear guidance and small steps you can take to ensure your course materials don’t unintentionally create barriers for students.
No one is expected to do everything at once. Think of this space as a place to learn, explore, and gradually build accessibility into your teaching workflow.
ADA Title II: What's Changing in 2026
In 2024, the Department of Justice released an update to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These new regulations, which take effect in April 2026, include updated expectations for the accessibility of digital course materials; everything from readings and documents to videos and interactive tools.
While the full rule covers many areas of public institutions, this page focuses specifically on what instructors need to know about digital instructional materials.
Beginning in April 2026, materials shared with students—whether on bCourses or inside other password-protected tools—will be expected to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.
This shift is significant, and it’s completely normal to have questions about what it means in practice.
What “WCAG 2.1 Level AA” Actually Means (In Plain Language)
The ADA update points to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA as the standard for accessible digital course materials. WCAG is built around four core ideas: content should be Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR). You don’t need to memorize the guidelines, just remember that materials should be easy to see or hear, easy to navigate, clear to follow, and able to work on different devices or with assistive tools.
WCAG has three levels:
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Level A is the bare minimum; it removes the most basic barriers (e.g., captions on videos, content readable by a screen reader).
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Level AA is the practical, widely adopted standard for higher education. It focuses on usability and ensures materials work for most students with disabilities (e.g., clear structure, good color contrast, alt text, keyboard access).
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Level AAA is the highest, most specialized level and is not required for course content. It includes very advanced accommodations that are not expected for typical materials.
Most accessibility work such as adding headings, checking color contrast, writing alt text, or using Library links, contributes directly to meeting Level AA. You are not expected to master the guidelines. Think of Level AA as a helpful benchmark: the point at which materials become usable and navigable for the vast majority of students.
What This Means for Instructors
For many years, accessibility obligations for course content were tied to a student’s Letter of Accommodation (LOA). Instructors would update or remediate materials when a student with a documented need enrolled, often with support from the Disabled Students’ Program (DSP). This was a reactive model; changes were made only when needed for an individual student.
The 2026 update moves us toward a proactive model: the goal is for course materials to be accessible from the moment students access them, not only after an accommodation is requested.
Top 5 Actions Instructors Can Take Now
1. Use the Accessibility Checker (Ally) to diagnose accessibility issues in your bCourses materials. Fix the “red” indicators first. These indicate the most significant barriers for students and are the highest-impact fixes.
2. Unpublish inaccessible course content flagged by Ally from bCourses sites: Focus on materials that you’re currently using and unpublish the rest. If students will use it in your course, it should be accessible. This includes resources like readings, videos, slide decks, assignment instructions, weekly learning materials, etc. You can update materials gradually, beginning with the ones students rely on most. (Consider letting students know you’re actively working on accessibility and invite them to flag any files that are not accessible.)
3. Start with editable formats: Start making accessibility fixes in your original, editable format, whether that’s a Word file or a bCourses page. Editable formats make accessibility much easier to build in.
4. Utilize the Accessibility of Library Collections: Library-licensed digital articles, chapters, and ebooks are typically already accessible and reduce the need for scanning or remediation. Linking to these versions also avoids copyright issues.
5. Use alternative formats instead of PDFs: Canvas pages (HTML), Word or Google Docs, ePub versions, are easier for students to navigate and typically require far less remediation than scanned PDFs.