Accessible Syllabi

An accessible syllabus is almost always a better syllabus for everyone, not just for students with disabilities. Clear structure, plain language, and predictable formatting help every student find what they need faster. This guide walks through what to do, both in terms of formatting and the content itself, whether you’re building your syllabus directly in Blackboard, drafting it in Word, or drafting it in Google Docs before uploading or linking it.

The Core Digital Accessibility Principles

Before getting into tool-specific steps, here are the underlying principles that apply no matter where you build your syllabus:

  • Use real headings, not just bold text. A heading that’s just bold, larger text tells a sighted reader “this is a section title,” but it tells a screen reader nothing. Screen reader users often navigate documents by jumping from heading to heading, and if your headings aren’t marked as actual headings in the document structure, that navigation breaks entirely.
  • Keep a logical, sequential structure. Headings should nest properly (a Heading 2 shouldn’t jump straight to a Heading 4), and content should flow in a sensible reading order. Don’t rely on visual position alone (like a text box floating in a corner) to convey meaning or sequence.
  • Write descriptive link text. “Click here” or “this link” tells a screen reader nothing about where the link goes. Screen reader users frequently pull up a list of all links on a page, out of context, so the link text itself needs to describe the destination: “Course Withdrawal Policy” rather than “click here for the policy.”
  • Add alt text to every image. If your syllabus includes a photo, a logo, a chart, or a decorative graphic, it needs alt text describing what it is and why it’s there, or it needs to be marked as decorative if it carries no informational content.
  • Use real tables for tabular data, not for layout. If you’re presenting your grading breakdown or course schedule in a table, make sure it’s built as an actual table with header rows marked as headers, not as a grid of text boxes or a spreadsheet screenshot.
  • Check color contrast. Text needs sufficient contrast against its background. Don’t rely on color alone to convey meaning either, such as “assignments in red are optional.” Add a text label or symbol too.
  • Use plain, direct language. Aim for clarity over academic flourish. Short sentences and common words reduce cognitive load for students with learning disabilities, ADHD, or students who are simply reading your syllabus for the first time at 11pm while stressed about five other things.

Accessible Content

Formatting is half the picture. The other half is what you actually include, and how you present it. Some content is required, and some content is optional but goes a long way toward supporting learners who need extra structure or advance notice.

UMBC maintains a set of standard statements that are required on every syllabus. Rather than retyping or paraphrasing these from memory, link to UMBC’s official, current version so students always see accurate, up-to-date language and so you’re not accidentally distributing an outdated policy.

Checklists, Guides, & Resources

Use the syllabus checklist, tool-specific guides, and help resources to create your accessible syllabus.

Beyond the required statements, certain kinds of syllabus content make a real difference for students who are disabled, neurodivergent, balancing outside responsibilities, or simply new to how your course works. Consider including:

  • A plain-language course overview near the top, summarizing what the course covers and how it will run, before diving into policy details. This helps any student get oriented quickly, and it’s especially useful for students using screen readers who are listening to the document linearly rather than skimming visually.
  • Instructor contact information and expected response time for questions, so students don’t have to guess how quickly they’ll hear back when something comes up.
  • A clear course schedule with specific dates, not just week numbers, so students can cross-reference deadlines with their own calendars and accommodation plans without guessing.
  • A clear grading statement detailing how students will be assessed and how grades are calculated.
  • An explicit late work and extension policy, stated plainly rather than left to be inferred.
  • Required materials listed with enough detail to source accessible formats early (edition, ISBN, publisher), so students who need alternate formats (audio, braille, digital text) have enough lead time to request them.
  • A description of the technology and tools the course will use, including how to access the technologies and related support resources.

Regardless of which tool you used to build your syllabus, run through this before it goes live in your course:

  • Required syllabus statements are linked to the current official version
  • Accommodations contact info, late work policy, and a specific dated schedule are included and easy to find
  • Headings are marked using real heading styles, not manual bold/font-size changes
  • Every image has meaningful alt text (or is marked decorative)
  • Every link has descriptive text, not “click here” or a bare URL
  • Tables are built as real tables with header rows, not layout grids
  • Color isn’t the only way information is conveyed
  • Text has sufficient contrast against its background
  • The document has been run through an accessibility checker (Word’s built-in checker, or Ally in Blackboard) if one is available
  • If uploading a PDF, it was exported using accessibility-preserving settings, not a flattened print-to-PDF

If you’re building your syllabus as a Blackboard content page (Ultra Document) rather than uploading a file, you get some real advantages: Blackboard’s content editor produces accessible text by default, and it’s often easier for students to navigate directly.

  • Use the built-in paragraph style menu for headings. Don’t just increase font size or bold a line to make it look like a heading. Use the editor’s actual “Heading 2,” “Heading 3,” and so on styles so the structure is machine-readable.
  • Add alt text through the image insertion dialog. When you insert an image, Blackboard will prompt you for alternative text. Take the extra ten seconds to fill it in meaningfully rather than skipping it.
  • Use the table tool for any tabular content, and mark the first row as a header row through the table properties, rather than approximating a table with tabs or spaces.
  • Rename your links before pasting them. Highlight the pasted URL text and replace it with a descriptive phrase using the editor’s link tool, rather than leaving a bare or generic URL in the page.
  • Break a long syllabus into multiple linked content items rather than one enormous scrolling page. This also tends to help with navigation for everyone, not just students using assistive tech.
  • Run Blackboard’s built-in Accessibility Checker (Ally) to scan course content and identify specific, actionable fixes to support accessibility.

Word has strong native accessibility tools, but they only help if you actually use them rather than relying on manual formatting.

  • Use the Styles panel for all headings (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) instead of manually changing font size and bold. This is the single most impactful fix in any Word document.
  • Run the built-in Accessibility Checker (Review tab > Check Accessibility, or File > Info in some versions). Word will flag missing alt text, low contrast, and structural issues, and it will tell you exactly what to do to fix each one.
  • Add alt text to images by right-clicking the image and selecting “Edit Alt Text.”
  • Use Word’s table tool and check “Header Row” in the Table Design tab so screen readers can announce column headers correctly as students navigate a grading table or schedule.
  • Use the Insert > Link tool for hyperlinks and type meaningful display text rather than pasting a raw URL.
  • Export to PDF using “Save As” with the “Best for electronic distribution and accessibility” option checked, if you’re going to upload a PDF version. This preserves the tags Word created, which a plain “print to PDF” often strips out.
  • Avoid text boxes for anything essential. Screen readers frequently skip over text boxes entirely, or read them out of order relative to the surrounding content.

Google Docs has made real progress on accessibility tools, though it lags slightly behind Word in some areas.

  • Use the Styles menu (Format > Paragraph styles) for all headings, the same principle as Word. Don’t manually bold and resize text to fake a heading.
  • Add alt text to images by right-clicking the image and choosing “Alt text.”
  • Use Insert > Table for any tabular content, and keep the structure simple.
  • Use Insert > Link with a descriptive label rather than pasting a bare URL.
  • Check contrast and color use manually, since Google Docs doesn’t have a built-in accessibility checker comparable to Word’s. Consider running a free contrast checker on any custom colors you introduce.
  • If you’re linking directly to the Google Doc rather than uploading a converted file, make sure sharing permissions are set so any enrolled student can view it without requesting access, and consider whether a PDF or Blackboard course content page might be more reliable for students using assistive technology, since Google Docs’ accessibility support in third-party screen readers is less consistent than a properly exported PDF or Blackboard content page.
  • If exporting to PDF or Word from Google Docs, re-check headings and alt text after export. Formatting sometimes doesn’t carry over cleanly, so it’s worth a quick pass in the destination format before uploading.

Creating accessible content is an ongoing process, and you don’t have to do it alone! Here are the campus resources and tools available to help you build and refine your course materials:

  • Instructional Technology & Course Design Support:
    • DoIT Instructional Technology: For assistance with Blackboard, course content pages, or Blackboard Ally, submit a ticket via help.umbc.edu.
    • Faculty Development Center (FDC): Contact the FDC for individual course consultations and syllabus reviews.
  • Student Accommodations & Digital Accessibility:
    • Student Disability Services (SDS): For questions regarding specific student accommodations, alternative textbook formats, or assistive technology compatibility, visit sds.umbc.edu or email disability@umbc.edu.
    • UMBC Official Syllabus Statements: Always pull the most current required syllabus policy language.
  • Self-Service Accessibility Tools:
    • Blackboard Ally: Look for the Ally gauge indicators in your Blackboard course to instantly view accessibility scores and step-by-step guidance for fixing issues.
    • Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools: Use the WebAIM’s Color Contrast Checker to verify custom font colors.