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Accessible Temple

Accessibility Icons with Accessible Temple. Access is the Key. Learning is the Destination.

Accessibility is about care and compassion for our students and commitment to an inclusive, welcoming environment for learning. It’s about proactive, prepared teaching. Rather than scrambling to make your course materials accessible when you receive an accommodation letter, designing a course that is accessible sends a powerful message to students that we know that access is important and we take action to ensure an inclusive and equitable environment for all students. We are required to meet the new ADA requirements described below, but we know as faculty that offering accessible courses is just the right thing to do. Accessible Temple is a university-wide initiative to ensure that accessibility is a reality at Temple.

The Mission of Accessible Temple: 

Temple’s commitment to opportunity, access, and engagement is centered in the learning and working experiences we create and implement for the Temple community. By integrating the latest accessibility standards, we support all students to reach their full potential, uphold our mission of excellence in education, and provide a welcoming environment for those who work at and visit Temple.

The Goals of Accessible Temple are:

  • to proactively develop a culture of inclusion that aligns with Temple’s core values of diversity and inclusivity;
  • to ensure a welcoming environment that fosters a sense of belonging and allows everyone to feel they are a part of the Temple family; and to ensure compliance with the new ADA Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 by the deadline of April 2026.

Register for an Accessibility Workshop

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What are the new WCAG 2.1 Guidelines?

These regulations broaden the scope of the previous guidelines for accessibility to include a wider range of recommendations that will improve the accessibility of web content for more people with disabilities on campus, including Word documents, PDFs, video/audio, slideshows, etc.

What’s it like for students when they have to deal with inaccessible materials?

The impact of inaccessible content will vary with the needs of each student. For example, a student who is visually impaired may require a screen reader to access course content posted to a website. If that website features tables without appropriate headings, the screen reader will not read the table in a systematic and coherent manner, leaving the student confused and without full access to course information. A PDF reading that is not formatted for text recognition (OCR, or Optical Character Recognition) will not allow a student with dyslexia to use an assistive technology to have the text read aloud at their preferred speed or to adjust font size and spacing to reduce visual stress. 

Watch this video for one way in which inaccessibility can affect students’ ability to access learning.

I thought we already had digital accessibility at Temple. How is this different?

While the applications the university licenses, such as Canvas and Zoom and university-managed websites are accessible, the content placed in those applications or on those websites may not be. For instance, you may have inaccessible PDF documents uploaded to your Canvas site, or there may be inaccessible Word documents on a webpage. So our task is to ensure that our community has accessible materials available at Temple University.

What will I have to do to make my courses or websites or other digital assets accessible?

Ensure all digital materials, including PDFs, slideshows, Word documents, video and audio files, scanned items, etc. are accessible. A good guiding framework for accessibility is the POUR Framework. Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust.

Perceivable content will make it possible for all learners to see and hear information. 

  • Use alt text, closed captions, and appropriate color contrast

Understandable content will support learners’ understanding through a consistent and predictable design.

  • Use plain language, clear directions, and consistency of design

Operable content will help all learners navigate information independently using their preferred tools.

  • Use descriptive links, clear structure, and ensure sufficient time

Robust content will work for your learners on a range of current and future technologies, including assistive technologies.

  • Use descriptive metadata and accessibility checkers

Don’t worry! The CAT is here to help you!

Description of the POUR framework: Perceivable content will make it possible for your learners to see and hear the information. Understandable content will support your learners' understanding through a consistent and predictable design. Operable content will help all your learners navigate the information independently using their preferred tools. Robust content will work for your learners on a range of current and future technologies, including assistive technologies.
I know very little about how to make my materials accessible. Is there training available?

The Center for the Advancement of Teaching will be running programs in a variety of formats to provide the information and training you need to make your courses accessible. It’s important to make a plan to get the training you need this fall so that you have time to make your courses accessible before April 2026. 

Starting at the beginning of August 2025, you can choose from the following options. Go to catbooking.temple.edu to see the dates of these options and register:

  • All day in-person Accessibility Academies. These all-day academies allow you to complete the training in one day and provide hands-on support while you are learning.
  • Synchronous online workshop series: This 3-part series on Zoom will allow you to complete the training virtually in 3 synchronous sessions.
  • Asynchronous online course (available later fall 2025). This facilitated online course will allow you to complete the training without scheduled meeting times.

The university has also arranged to license a tool to assist us in this effort, Panorama by YuJa.

What is Panorama and how will it help me?

This powerful accessibility checker will be enabled in your Canvas course and provide guidance and assistance in identifying inaccessible materials and even assist you in remediating materials that are not accessible. As part of the training programs listed above, we will train you in how to use Panorama. Keep in mind, however, that it is essential not to rely wholly on the tool both because it  misses some accessibility features and because a best practice is to create accessible materials from the get-go before uploading to Canvas.

Will I receive a letter of completion or some other recognition that I’ve taken the training?

By completing one of the accessibility training options, you will earn a micro-credential that demonstrates your newfound knowledge and skills.  

  • Digital Accessibility Micro-Credential: Faculty completing the Accessibility Academy, the synchronous online 3-part series of trainings, or the asynchronous facilitated course will receive the digital accessibility micro-credential.  
  • Digital Accessibility Champion Micro-Credential: This enhanced badge will include the requirements for the Digital Accessibility Badge as well as additional faculty development on Universal Design for Learning.
What if I get stuck even after the training? Who can help me?

Upon completion of the training, there will be further support available. Feel free to take advantage of the other CAT resources available to faculty:

  • Drop-In Clinics: the CAT will offer dedicated drop-in clinic times in-person at Main and HSC campuses. These clinics will expand opportunities for faculty to receive hands-on assistance without an appointment. 
  • Individual, Paired, or Small Group Consultations:  Using the CAT consultation online booking system, faculty can make an appointment with a CAT specialist to receive dedicated assistance.