Contact Us

Disability Resource Center
715-425-0740
drc@uwrf.edu 

Human Resources
715-425-3518
hr@uwrf.edu 

Accessibility Resources

At UWRF, we're striving to create an inclusive and accessible campus for all. We can all help make events, courses and digital content accessible for all by incorporating best practices and guidelines. We've compiled a range of resources to help guide your planning and development. 

UWRF Section Separator

University Committees

Student Organizations

  
Events/Physical Spaces

  • The Accessibility Checklist provides a detailed list of things you can do to ensure events and meetings are accessible for everyone. 
  • For questions about or assistance setting up physical spaces, contact Facilities Management at facilities@uwrf.edu or 715-425-3827.
  • If you aren't sure who to contact about providing a specific accommodation at an event or if you have general questions about making an event accessible, contact the Disability Resource Center at drc@uwrf.edu or 715-425-0740.

   
Web/Digital Accessibility

  • WebAIM (Web Accessibility In Mind), a non-profit organization, is a leading provider of web accessibility expertise across the globe. WebAIM provides training, technical assistance and more for web accessibility needs. 
  • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG): WCAG 2.2 is the most current version of web standards created by the W3C, an international group that determines protocols and standards for the web.
  • WCAG Checklist: Recommendations for implementing the most common accessibility principles and techniques for WCAG conformance. 
  • UW-Madison's "Make It Accessible" website is an excellent resource for digital accessibility needs. 
  • For questions about website content or web accessibility at UWRF, contact Kelsea Wissing at kelsea.wissing@uwrf.edu or 715-425-4422.
Best Practices
  • Use Plain Language: Write in clear, concise language. Avoid jargon and complex sentence structures. 
  • Descriptive Links: Use descriptive text for links instead of "click here." This helps screen reader users understand the link's purpose. 
    • EXAMPLE:  Instead of: "To learn more about our online Bachelor of Business Administration program, click here." Use: "To learn more about our online Bachelor of Business Administration program, visit our program information page." 
      • In this example, the link text "program information page" clearly describes the purpose of the link, which helps screen reader users understand where the link will take them. 
Text Accessibility
  • High Contrast: 
    • What: High contrast between text and background colors. 
    • Why: It improves readability for users with visual impairments. 
    • How: Use tools like WebAIM’s Contrast Checker to ensure sufficient contrast. 
  • Avoid Using All Caps: 
    • Why: Text in all caps can be harder to read and is often read letter-by-letter by screen readers. 
    • Solution: Use capital letters sparingly and for emphasis only. 
Images
  • Alt Text
    • What: Alt text (alternative text) is a brief description of an image. 
    • Why: It allows screen readers to describe the image to visually impaired users. 
    • How: Keep it concise but descriptive. Mention key elements without redundancy. 
    • Solution: Instead of "Image of a dog," use "Golden retriever playing in a park."
  • Avoid Text in Images
    • Why: Text within images can’t be read by screen readers. 
    • Solution: Include essential text in the post caption or alt text.   
Video
  • Captions
    • What: Captions are text versions of the spoken part of a video. 
    • Why: They assist users who are deaf or hard of hearing. 
    • How: Use auto-generated captions and edit them for accuracy or manually add captions. 
  • Transcripts
    • What: A written version of the video content. 
    • Why: They provide a way for users to access the video content in text form. 
    • How: Create a text document that includes all spoken dialogue and important sounds. 
  • Audio Descriptions
    • What: Narration added to a video to describe important visual details. 
    • Why: They help visually impaired users understand visual elements of the video. 
    • How: Integrate brief descriptions of key visual elements within the natural pauses of the video. 
  • Facebook: 
    • Alt Text: Facebook automatically generates alt text for images, but you can edit it to be more accurate.
    • Video Captions: Upload caption files (.srt) when posting videos. 
  • X: 
    • Alt Text: Enable the setting to add alt text to images. Keep descriptions under 420 characters. 
    • Image Descriptions: Add descriptions to GIFs by clicking on "Add description." 
  • Instagram: 
    • Alt Text: Add alt text to images during the upload process or edit later. 
    • Hashtags: Use camel case for hashtags (e.g., #AccessibilityGuide instead of #accessibilityguide). 
  • LinkedIn: 
    • Alt Text: Add alt text to images in posts. 
    • Closed Captions: Add captions to LinkedIn native videos. 
  • YouTube: 
    • Captions: Upload caption files or use YouTube’s auto-captioning and edit for accuracy. 
    • Transcripts: Provide video transcripts in the video description or a linked document. 
  • Regular Audits: Periodically review your social media content for accessibility compliance. 
  • User Feedback: Encourage feedback from your audience on the accessibility of your content. 
  • Stay Updated: Follow accessibility experts and updates to ensure your practices are current. 

 

Course Accessibility

  • Self-enroll in the Disability Resource Center's Accessibility Course.
  • Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for curriculum design that fosters an inclusive learning environment. Minimizing barriers to learning reduces the need for individual accommodations and helps to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to succeed. Providing multiple pathways to achieve course outcomes motivates and engages students with different learning styles, needs and abilities.
  • Does the course have a clear attendance policy? What is the expectation for students to communicate an absence? 
  • Does the course have a clear deadline and late policy? What is the expectation for students to communicate the need for an extension? 
  • Does the syllabus state the instructor’s communication turnaround time (i.e. response to emails within 24-48 hours)? 
  • Have you applied the SLIDE acronym to remember key accessibility features for documents? (styles, links, images, design, evaluation) 
  • Have you posted your syllabus to your Canvas course? 
  • Have you included the accessibility statement in your syllabus? All course syllabi should include the following statement:  
    • The University of Wisconsin-River Falls welcomes students with disabilities into its educational programs, activities, residential halls, and everything else it offers. Those who’ll need academic adjustments or accommodations for a disability should contact the Disability Resource Center, 123 Rodli Hall, 715-425-0740. Decisions to allow adjustments and accommodations are made on the basis of clinical documentation the students provide to sufficiently indicate the nature of their situation. Additional information is found at www.uwrf.edu/DRC.