Accessibility is a critical component of online course design, ensuring that all students—regardless of ability—can access, engage with, and benefit from course materials. Inclusive design supports compliance with legal requirements and aligns with best practices outlined in the Quality Matters (QM) Higher Education Rubric.
Practice: All non-text content (such as images, charts, and graphs) should include descriptive alternative text. Multimedia content should include captions and transcripts.
QM Standard 8.4: The course provides equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content.
Practice: Use legible fonts and sufficient color contrast. Avoid using color alone to convey meaning.
QM Standard 8.3: The course provides accessible text and image content.
Practice: Use proper heading styles, table headers, alt text, and clear navigation in documents and LMS pages.
QM Standard 8.3: The course provides accessible text and image content.