Access and Accommodations

While creating and revising teaching materials for online or face-to-face learning, ensuring that materials are appropriately accessible for all students is both required by law and important to creating an inclusive classroom environment. This page provides tips for reviewing materials (such as written documents and videos) and seeks to help faculty understand the distinction between accessibility and accommodations. 

For more information about accessibility and accommodations at ECC, contact the Student Access & Disability Service Office

The Student Access & Disability Service Office has created a concise guide, titled "Fostering an Accessible and Equitable Learning Environment at Elgin Community College." 

Defining Accessibility and Accommodations

A primary way to distinguish between accessibility and accommodation is that accessibility is proactive and accommodations are reactive. 

NOTE:  Being proactive about making materials accessible does not mean that students will no longer need accommodations. Making course materials and practices accessible instead means a greater chance of supporting students who do not request accommodations for a documented disability but will nonetheless benefit from accessible materials. Additionally, making materials accessible, as this page will describe later on, provides potential benefits to all students. 

Guides for Document, Video, and Zoom Accessibility

ECC's website has a guide to creating accessible content. The page features ways to strive towards accessibility, such as using headings and lists, when creating written documents and also when recording videos. 

ECC Accessible Content Guides

Additional instructions for making synchronous sessions over Zoom and videos uploaded to YouTube more accessible can be accessed by clicking the links below. 

Microsoft Word Accessibility Checklist 

Verify that your Word document is accessible by checking these features:

1.    Built-In Headings and Styles

a.    Are the built-in headings and styles used correctly?

2.    Lists

a.    Are the built-in ordered (numbered) and unordered (bulleted) lists used correctly?

3.    Hyperlinks

a.    Are hyperlinks meaningful?

4.    Alternative Text

a.    Is Alternative Text added for each image, graph, and table?

5.    Tables

a.    Is the table simple? Simple tables do not have nested or merged rows or columns. 

b.    Does the top row repeat at the top of each page of the table?

c.     The rows should not break across pages.

Further Resources:

Understanding the Accessibility Checker’s Error Messages

Video Explaining Why Creating Accessible Word and PDF Documents is Important

MS Office Accessibility—PowerPoint and Word

Microsoft PowerPoint Accessibility Checklist 

Verify that your PowerPoint presentation is accessible by checking these features:

1.    Built-In Slide Templates

a.    Are built-in slide templates being used?

2.    Unique Slide Titles

a.    Does each slide have a unique slide title?

3.    Hyperlinks

a.    Are hyperlinks meaningful?

4.    Reading Order of Slide Contents

a.    Is the reading order for each slide accurate?

5.    Alternative Text

a.    Is Alternative Text added for each image, graph, and table?

6.    Videos

a.    If videos are shown, are the captions included and accurate?

7.    Color Contrast

a.    Is there a strong color contrast between the text and background?

8.    Font 

a.    Is the font size at least 24 point or higher?

b.    Is the font readable (e.g., Arial or Verdana)?

Further Resources:

Understanding the Accessibility Checker’s Error Messages

7 Steps to Creating an Accessible PowerPoint Slideshow

MS Office Accessibility—PowerPoint and Word

Publisher Accessibility Checklist

To help evaluate the accessibility of the publisher’s materials, use the following checklist and determine if the following questions can be answered:

Checklist Questions


Should any of these questions lack any clear or definitive answers from the publisher we encourage you to explore more clearly accessible publisher options for course materials.

Other Considerations

Faculty FAQs on Accommodations

Accessibility Statement for Syllabi

Elgin Community College (ECC) views disability as an important aspect of diversity and is committed to providing an equitable and accessible learning environment for all students. The Student Access & Disability Services office collaborates with students who have disabilities to provide and arrange reasonable accommodations to foster full participation in courses and campus experiences.

If you have a disability (e.g., vision, hearing, speech, psychological, ADHD, TBI, health, intellectual, autism, learning, physical, etc.), please visit www.elgin.edu/ada, complete the “Registration Form” under “New to Student Disabilities Services,” gather documentation on your disability, and schedule an intake appointment.

If you have received accommodations in the past at ECC and need accommodation letters for your courses this semester, please visit www.elgin.edu/ada and complete the “Request Form” under “Returning Student” as soon as possible.

While ECC will not compromise or waive essential skill requirements in any course or degree, students with disabilities may be supported with reasonable accommodations to help meet these requirements. The laws state that students do not need to disclose a disability, but if reasonable accommodations are needed, the students must disclose a disability to the Student Access & Disability Services office and provide documentation on the disability during the intake appointment. If students do not follow the intake process through the Student Access & Disability Services office, ECC does not need to provide reasonable accommodations to standard procedures.

If you have any questions, please email sds@elgin.edu or call 847-214-7717. 

ECC Webinar on Accessibility

The below video is webinar on accessibility, led by Pietrina Probst, Director of ADA and Student Disability Services, and Tammy Ray, Instructional Technology & Distance Learning Coordinator IV and Adjunct Faculty in Digital Technologies. The webinar was led on May 26, 2020 with faculty in ABEC.