Literature has shown that inaccessible content is a barrier to student success and an impediment to student retention. Despite legal obligations for accessible course content, creators of course materials are often unaware of the benefits of improved accessibility and their personal liability. To address these accessibility issues, a partnership was developed between the library and two campus departments to create a formal, campus wide accessibility service that would make all online course content fully accessible on Day 1, through design initiatives rather than having faculty wait for an accommodation request, to foster student success and support faculty course development.
Keywords: Accessibility; Blackboard Ally; collaborative projects; course design; faculty services; online courses; video captioning.