Web Accessibility

Accessible digital content helps ensure everyone can access MVCC information and services—whether they use a keyboard, captions, screen readers, voice control, or other assistive technology. This page provides practical resources for faculty and staff who create webpages in Modern Campus CMS and files (Word, PowerPoint, PDFs), with a focus on Title II digital accessibility.

This is how you can start (5-minute checklist)

Use this quick checklist whenever you publish or update content in Modern Campus CMS or upload a file to a webpage. It prevents the most common accessibility barriers and supports Title II compliance.

Use headings correctly: structure content with Heading 2/3/4 (don’t bold text to “fake” a heading).
Write descriptive link text: use meaningful labels (avoid “click here” or “learn more” by itself).
Add alt text to images: describe the purpose of the image, or mark decorative images appropriately.
Avoid “PDF-only” whenever possible: publish key information as a web page (HTML) first.
Check contrast: make sure text is easy to read against its background.
Captions for video: ensure videos are captioned; provide transcripts when needed.
Run a checker before publishing: use Modern Campus CMS Page Check and fix issues you can fix.

Do one thing today: Run Page Check in Modern Campus CMS on any page you edit and resolve issues before publishing.

Modern Campus CMS: accessible page basics

Modern Campus CMS (formerly OU Campus / OmniUpdate at many institutions) includes editing tools that help you build accessible pages. Use the platform features instead of manual formatting whenever possible.

Use Modern Campus Page Check (before you publish)

Modern Campus “Page Check” documentation (checks spelling, links, W3C validation, and accessibility)

Structure and content best practices

Headings: Keep heading levels in order (H2 then H3, etc.). Don’t skip levels.
Lists: Use real bulleted/numbered lists (not hyphens typed into paragraphs).
Links: Make link text unique and descriptive (“Download the Nursing Handbook (PDF)” not “Download”).
Images: Add alt text for meaningful images; avoid images of text when you can.
Tables: Use tables only for data (not layout) and include proper headers.
Color: Don’t rely on color alone to communicate meaning (“required fields in red”).

Additional Modern Campus CMS accessibility how-tos:

Documents & PDFs: Word, PowerPoint, and PDF

Documents linked from webpages are part of your “web content.” Whenever possible, publish important content as a webpage (HTML). If a document is necessary, make it accessible in the source file first (Word/PowerPoint), then export to PDF if needed.

Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)

Improve accessibility with the Microsoft Accessibility Checker

PDFs (Adobe Acrobat Pro)

Create and verify PDF accessibility (Adobe Acrobat Pro)

Quick document tips (high impact)

Use built-in styles: Heading styles, list styles, and table header rows.
Alt text: Add alt text to images and charts (or provide a text summary nearby).
Readable structure: Use clear titles, sections, and plain language.
Export smart: If exporting to PDF, preserve tags/structure and verify in Acrobat.

Video & audio: captions, transcripts, and classroom media

Captions and transcripts support students, employees, and the public—including people who are deaf or hard of hearing, people in noisy environments, and anyone who learns better through text.

If you create or post video as part of your work, plan for captions before publishing. If you need help coordinating captioning or accessible alternatives, contact OAR (see “Get help” below).

Testing tools (webpages & documents)

Automated tools can find many issues quickly, but they do not catch everything. Use tools to identify problems early, then apply human review for meaning, clarity, and usability.