Welcome toInnovative Learning

Accessibility is a regular routine for creating course content

Accessible materials are the new normal for instructional course content—and the good news is that it doesn’t require a complete overhaul. The biggest impact on accessibility comes from small, repeatable habits you can build into your workflow. When these steps become routine, you catch issues early, avoid last‑minute fixes, and make your content easier to navigate for everyone.

Following is a simple routine you can apply every time you build content. (See Instructional Material ADA Readiness for details on each item.)

• When you write or revise content (Word docs, Brightspace pages): Use built-in headings (don’t just bold/resize text), keep lists as true lists by using Styles, and use simple tables with a clear header row.

• When you add links: Swap “click here” for descriptive link text so students know exactly what they’re opening.

• When you add images, charts, or diagrams: Add alt text that explains the purpose of the visual; for a complex visual, pair it with a brief description in nearby text.

• When you use PowerPoint/slides: Use slide layouts, ensure every slide has a unique title, and check reading order before you share them.

• When you use video or audio: Make sure captions (video) or transcripts (audio) are available.

• Before you publish (5-minute final check): Run the built-in accessibility checkers and tackle the highest‑impact items first.

Using past content? Build in a quick “touch-up” step 

If you’re reusing files from prior terms, make accessibility part of your course copy routine. Start with the items students need first (syllabus, core readings, key slides, major assignments), then work outward as time allows. Accessibility isn’t an all‑or‑nothing finish line—it’s steady progress that pays off every time you teach. 

Need a starting point? Keep the Digital Instructional Materials – Accessibility Checklist open as you build—it’s designed to support this “new normal” workflow. The Instructional Material ADA Readiness webpage pulls the latest guidance into one place. For step-by-step practice, the Brightspace ADA Accessibility Course – see details on the Readiness page — provides a structured pathway you can complete at your own pace. 

For further questions and support at your campus, contact: 

Purdue West Lafayette and Indianapolis: Innovative Learning, InnovativeLearningTeam@purdue.edu.

Purdue Fort Wayne:  

• For questions or resources on accessibility: Digital Accessibility Taskforce.

• For questions about this Purdue system project: Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, celt@pfw.edu.

• For compliance questions about the regulation: Contact the Office for Civil Rights Compliance at civilrights@pfw.edu.

Purdue Northwest:  

• For resources on accessibility: Accessibility at PNW.

• For questions: Center for the Faculty Excellence, cfe@pnw.edu.

Purdue Global: Center for Teaching and Learning, askctl@purdueglobal.edu.

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Join CIE for an Instructional Innovation Showcase: Engagement Using Games

Are you interested in new ideas to engage students in your class? The Center for Instructional Excellence (CIE) invites you to join us for an afternoon of game-based learning on Fri., April 24, 2-4 p.m. in LYLE 1160.  Hear from Purdue instructors who will share practical, game‑based strategies to boost student engagement. After the presentations, you may join a Q&A and networking session with presenters and CIE staff.

This event is open to all Purdue West Lafayette, Purdue in Indianapolis, and Purdue Polytechnic Statewide faculty, graduate students, postdocs, and staff. Complete this registration. Download and share this PDF flyer.

Questions may be emailed to Emma Callahan ejcallah@purdue.edu or Annika Kraft arkraft@purdue.edu

CIE is a member of Innovative Learning, Purdue’s hub approach to connect instructors in Indianapolis and West Lafayette to the resources they need to engage students, develop courses in any instructional modality, and enhance learning across the University. Other members include Libraries and the School of Information Studies and Purdue University Online. To learn more, visit www.purdue.edu/innovativelearning or email InnovativeLearningTeam@purdue.edu.

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ADA team earns Focus Award

The Instructional Material System Project team has been honored with a 2026 Special Recognition Focus Award for its sustained, systemwide work to help Purdue instructors prepare for the Department of Justice’s updated digital accessibility requirements under ADA Title II. The award recognizes the team’s focus on practical support, steady communication, and cross-campus coordination as Purdue moves toward the April 24, 2026, compliance deadline. 

Over the past academic year, the team from Indianapolis and West Lafayette, Northwest, and Fort Wayne campuses built a support ecosystem designed for busy instructors and course materials, which includes the Instructional Material ADA Readiness website, the Digital Instructional Materials – Accessibility Checklist, and ADA Title II Compliance FAQs. The team delivered a series of synchronous workshops to introduce requirements and demonstrate efficient, repeatable fixes; hosted daily drop-in help sessions where instructors could bring questions and receive real-time guidance; and developed an asynchronous ADA Title II training course to provide on-demand, step-by-step instruction for improving accessibility in documents, media, and Brightspace content. 

The project team is engaging in a digital content remediation tool RFP—working through procurement requirements, vendor engagement, and implementation planning to roll out a solution that can scale across courses and campuses.  

This work matters because accessibility is not only a legal expectation—it is a direct investment in student success. By helping instructors identify what to prioritize, how to remediate common issues, and where to get help fast, the team is reducing barriers for students who use assistive technologies and improving the learning experience for everyone. The Special Recognition Focus Award celebrates this commitment to inclusive teaching and the steady progress being made toward April 2026 readiness. Details on the award and other awardees can be found on the Current Year Focus Awards Recipients | Office for Civil Rights. 

Need support? Instructors are encouraged to take advantage of available workshops, drop-ins, and the self-paced training course, and to use the Instructional Material ADA Readiness resources as they update course content.  

For further questions and support at your campus, contact: 

Purdue West Lafayette and Indianapolis: Innovative Learning, InnovativeLearningTeam@purdue.edu 

Purdue Fort Wayne:  

• For questions or resources on accessibility: Digital Accessibility Taskforce  

• For questions about this Purdue system project: Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, celt@pfw.edu 

• For compliance questions about the regulation: Contact the Office for Civil Rights Compliance at civilrights@pfw.edu  

Purdue Northwest:  

• For resources on accessibility: Accessibility at PNW    

• For questions: Center for the Faculty Excellence, cfe@pnw.edu  

Purdue Global: Center for Teaching and Learning, askctl@purdueglobal.edu 

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