FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Accessibility Processing:

• How important is accessible web content?

  Accessible web content is very important because it benefits and affects everyone!

  Having accessible web content benefits all viewers who access your materials, not just DSS students!

  • Different learning styles benefit from having accessible documents/content and all users will greatly appreciate having multiple ways of accessing your content's information.
  • Mobile devices that might not completely load the original form of a document or site benefit greatly from accessible content.
  • The success of a website depends on accessibility and usability! Creating highly-accessible, universal designs that can be viewed in as many ways as possible is critical to the success of a website
• What are the benefits of accessible content?

  There are many benefits to accessible content - the main goal of accessible content is that all readers are able to access, navigate, and understand content posted online. These goals apply to all viewers, not just ones with special needs, and come particularly helpful if your content is being used on a mobile device. 

  Having accessible content additionally decreases the likelihood of an ADA-related complaint or lawsuit for the campus and yourself. 

• If I do not have a DSS student in my course, do I still need accessible content?

  If your site is accessible publicly online, then you still need to make your content accessible. Public online content can be accessed by anyone and ultimately should be prepared to be as accessible as physically possible. Legally, all university-affiliated, public-access websites need to be made accessible; failing to do so could result in a lawsuit.

  If you do not have a DSS Student and are teaching within a Cougar Course environment it is highly recommended to create accessible content. It is extremely likely that you will have an identified DSS student within your course and it's much easier to create and accessible content at the beginning then to retrofit your materials.

• Can anyone have their course(s)/site(s) checked for accessibility?
  Yes! As long as the sites being submitted are university affiliated, anyone can submit their content to be checked for accessibility.
• What kinds of things are being looked at/makes a site accessible?

  Many elements are considered when making a site accessible such as: headers, alternative text on images, marked tables, layout design, color choices, captions on videos (if applicable), and coding elements.

  If you have questions or concerns that are not addressed on this page, please contact: webaccessibility@csusm.edu