Educational Development Digest: September 2025

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By the Educational Developers Accessibility team: Chad Anderson (Dakota County Technical College/Inver Hills Community College), Clare Forstie (Saint Paul College), Jody Ondich (Lake Superior College), Aurea Osgood (Winona State University), and Caroline Toscano (Century College)

In today’s learning environments, digital accessibility is essential to creating inclusive educational experiences. Digital accessibility refers to the design and development of digital content that can be used by everyone, regardless of ability. In addition to being the right thing to do, institutions are required to comply with ADA’s Title II revisions; Minnesota State institutions must ensure all web content is accessible and meets the WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines by April 24, 2026.

Digital accessibility is grounded in the belief that all students deserve equal access to learning. For students with disabilities—such as vision or hearing impairments, mobility challenges, or cognitive differences—barriers in digital content can significantly impact student participation and success. Fortunately, many of the same strategies that remove these barriers benefit all learners.

Given these new requirements, it might feel overwhelming for faculty and staff to approach modifications to their course and other materials. Our aim is to offer a few pathways into this work, knowing that it’s long-term work that begins with small changes.

A few places to start might include:

• Register to attend the (free) NED webinar Digitial Accessibility: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How on Friday, September 19, 10:00 – 10:30 a.m.
• Begin or review the Foundations of Digital Accessibility course in Employee Learning Management (ELM), which offers an overview of specific practices to support digital accessibility. In that course, you’ll learn about things like using headings, alt text, color contrast, and more.
• Use Accessibility Checkers built into all Office products and D2L Brightspace. In Office products, look for the Accessibility Checker under the “Review” tab. Review the results of the checker and apply your own knowledge of accessibility, too.
• Review and consider adopting already-built D2L Brightspace Course Design Template available through the Network for Educational Development (NED).
• Register for Creating Accessible Documents (spring 2026) or Accessible Digital Media (Oct-Nov 2025) 3-week short courses to learn more accessibility strategies.
• Explore accessibility support tools for your campus. Many schools are exploring or actively using additional outside tools like Ally or YuJa; ask your academic technology folks or Campus Academic Technology Team about your available tools.
• Identify ways to share practices with others across your campus, or connect with local experts and colleagues about accessibility tips, for example, in commonly used tools like D2L Brightspace.

Recall that we are engaging in this work to provide equitable access to education for our students, our colleagues, and ourselves. We are in this together!

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By Megan Babel, Communications Coordinator, Minnesota State

We often use PowerPoint slides to organize our meetings and lectures. Follow these best practices to help ensure your presentations are accessible.

• Share Materials in Advance – Post slides, agendas, and documents at least 24 hours before your meeting or class. This gives participants time to review, prepare questions, and engage meaningfully, especially helpful for those who need more time to process information.
• Use Unique Slide Titles – Unique slide titles create a structured outline hierarchy essential for clear navigation.
• Add Descriptive Alt Text – Images should include meaningful alt text that describes their purpose or content. Avoid vague descriptions like “image.”
• Check Reading Order – Screen readers follow the order in which elements were added to a slide. Use the “Selection Pane” to ensure content is read in a logical sequence.
• Avoid Using Color Alone to Convey Meaning – Use text labels, patterns, or icons in addition to color to ensure everyone can understand your message.
• Write Descriptive Links – Instead of “click here,” use links like “View the accessibility guide” so users know what to expect.
• Use the Accessibility Checker – Turn it on early! It works like spell check and flags issues that might affect users with assistive tech.
• Remove content that could cause seizures – Avoid content or animations that flashes, flickers, or blinks as they can cause seizures or create distractions for learners.
• Avoid inserting text boxes, instead use the slide layouts that come with content placeholders.
• Make your slides easy to read – Use plain language, include space around your text, and a large, sans serif fonts (at least 18-point).
• Try using a Minnesota State template – These templates come with built-in Minnesota State brand colors, heading styles, and fonts. Many also come with helpful accessibility guidelines.

This list isn’t exhaustive, but it’s a strong starting point. Accessibility is a continuous journey, and every improvement helps create a more inclusive experience.

Find more in the Section 508 authoring guide for accessible presentations.

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When giving instructions for how to use content, like navigating a website or using an application, do not rely only on sensory characteristics (e.g., shape, color, size, position, or sound). Learn more about this digital accessibility tip.

View more digital accessibility tips.

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By Megan Babel, Communications Coordinator, Minnesota State

Minnesota State is a platinum member of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP), giving faculty, staff, and students access to professional training, certifications, and networking opportunities related to accessibility.

Those interested in building their understanding of accessibility and learning practical concepts that help everyone are invited to join a supportive IAAP/NED cohort this fall.

Learn more about joining the Minnesota State IAAP organizational membership and the NED/IAAP cohort.

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