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  4. Testing and Evaluating Materials for Accessibility

Testing and Evaluating Materials for Accessibility

DRAFT

What do we mean when we say something is digitally accessible and how exactly is that defined?

Digital accessibility is both a technical requirement and an equity practice. As content owners, the technical choices we make allow users to adjust their experience based on their needs independently and effectively - whether that’s using assistive technologies or personal preferences like dark mode or bigger text size on your phone screen.

In order to confirm accessibility there are specific tools and practices you may use to evaluate whether your content meets the current digital accessibility standard (WCAG 2.1 AA).

Step 1: Use an Automated Checker where you can

Microsoft Office products (Email, Word, PPT, Excel) have a built-in accessibility checker that identifies the biggest barriers for user success. Learn more about where these are often located and why they are helpful but not full proof in our Accessibility Bytes: Automatic Accessibility Checkers review

Additionally there have been automated checkers added to many web tools, including Canvas and Seattle Colleges webpages that should also be used for identification of accessibility barriers.  

Step 2: Confirm accuracy to the Accessibility Checklist

Because automated checkers cannot fully assess compliance with the WCAG 2.1 AA standard, SBCTC and Seattle Colleges have developed accessibility checklists to serve as clear, centralized guides. These checklists are designed to help you apply the required practices and more confidently create documents that meet accessibility standards.

Additional Verification - PDF Accessibility

When creating a file that will be transitioned to a PDF it's recommended that you follow the below workflow:

  1. Original "source" file passes the Microsoft automatic checker
  2. Original "source" file is reviewed against the Accessibility Checklist
  3. PDF is created using the Adobe Export feature (not "Save As" or "Print As")
  4. PDF passes the automatic and manual checks of the Adobe Acrobat Pro Checker
  5. PDF passes the PAC 2026 Checker or an equivalent

Learn more about how to check PDFs for Accessibility in that PDF Accessibility Review page.

Understanding that where possible we are aiming to move away from using PDFs due to their complexity. Review the PDF Decision Tree and Alternative Solutions resource page for more information and ideas.

Additional Verification - Website Accessibility

  1. Ensure the text copy follows the Microsoft Word Accessibility Checklist
  2. Run the site through the WAVE Accessibility Checker and confirm no major errors for required activities
  3. Successfully pass the manual tests to confirm accessibility compliance with keyboard navigation, screen enlargement, etc
  4. Third-party sites should be able to provide their Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR)

Additional Verification - Canvas Accessibility

  1. Means your WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) content has no errors flagged
  2. Means your Ally score is at 100% for all student facing content
  3. Means all document files shared also pass the Accessibility Checklist and PDF Checkers (or a fully accessible alternative is provided)

Learn more about Canvas and Accessibility Resources and Guidance from your eLearning team.