Getting Started With Accessible Teaching Basics

Planning Your Course

Course Design

"A course that is intentionally created to be accessible creates a safer and more balanced environment in which to study and learn." (Student Quote from Zaza, 2025)

• Communicate how you have designed your course. Use Waterloo's Outline Tool for your course outline so that students have consistency across their courses.
• Build some flexibility into your assessment and learning activities, where possible. For example: Provide grace days to help students manage their workload during busy times.
• Design your course with some assessments scheduled early in the term so that students can make informed decisions about their courses.

For additional ways to increase accessibility in your course design, visit Ramping Up Accessibility in Course Design.

Designing Assessment and Learning Activities

• Provide assessment descriptions and instructions at the start of the term, so that students know what to expect and can plan accordingly. 
• Use centrally supported technologies, for example, LEARN, Mobius, and other tools that students are familiar with and for which technical support is available.
  • To learn more: Refer to Educational Technologies Hub – Centrally Supported Tools.
• Offer some options that are appropriate for your course. For example: Offer choice within the overall assessment plan, such as which elements to complete, or choice of topics or formats within one assessment.

For additional ways to increase accessibility in your assessments and learning activities, visit Ramping Up Accessibility in Designing Assessment and Learning Activities.

Course Organization

In a recent student survey about course accessibility, 75% - 91% of students rated all accessibility practices related to course organization and navigation as either Very Important or Extremely Important for their learning (Student Quote from Zaza, 2025).  

• Clearly and consistently identify and organize all course elements (e.g., readings, lecture slides, assignments, etc.). For example: Label assignments, dropboxes, and grade book items clearly and consistently throughout the course.
• Use LEARN to house course materials (e.g., lecture slides, readings) so that students have a consistent learning experience across courses.
• Organize your course chronologically, to match how students progress through the term. For example: In a 12-week course, provide materials and tasks in weekly modules that correspond to a weekly schedule showing topics, due dates, etc. 

For additional ways to increase the accessibility of your course in LEARN, visit Ramping Up Accessibility in Course Organization.

Teaching Your Course

Course Materials

“Course accessibility has been a critical factor in ensuring I can fully engage with the material. Features like captions on videos, accessible course materials, and inclusive teaching methods have made a noticeable difference in my ability to comprehend and retain information.” (Student Quote from Zaza, 2025)

• Define any idioms, jargon, abbreviations, and acronyms the first time they are used in the course. Some students may be unfamiliar with specific terms and might be confused about how they relate to the course content.
• Label course materials clearly and consistently throughout the course. For example: Label required readings, learning activities, lecture slides clearly and consistently so that students can quickly and easily find what they are looking for.
• Use the ‘Plus One’ practice for multimedia materials. For example: If providing a video, also include a transcript so that students can use the format that works for them.

For additional ways to increase accessibility of your course materials, visit Ramping Up Accessibility in Course Materials.

Teaching Strategies and Practices 

"I believe having a variety of ways to communicate with instructors, and having learning material well organized and accessible has helped me succeed academically."​ (Student Quote from Zaza, 2025)

• Provide course materials in advance so that students can plan according to their needs. For example: Some materials may need to be converted to different format. 
• Start with an overview of how the class (e.g., lecture, tutorial, lab) will proceed. For example: If you’re planning to give a break in a 3-hour class, let students know at the beginning of class, so that they can plan according to their needs.
  • To learn more: Refer to Planning a Lesson (CTE Teaching Tip).
• Use a microphone when teaching in a large space, such as a lecture hall. Using a microphone makes it easier for students to perceive and focus on the lecture over background noises in the classroom.

For additional ways to increase accessibility in your teaching, visit Ramping Up Accessibility in Teaching Strategies and Practices.

Implementing Assessment and Learning Activities

• Provide feedback in an accessible format whenever possible. For example: Typed comments are more accessible than hand-written comments.
• Provide clear, explicit, and thorough instructions for assessment. For example: Include expectations such as word count and format, so that students have the information they need in order to complete the assessment successfully.
• Provide instructions for in-class learning activities in written format (not just verbally) so that students can access and refer to the instructions in a way that works for them. 

For additional ways to increase accessibility in the implementation of your assessments and learning activities, visit Ramping Up Accessibility in Implementing Assessment and Learning Activities.