When you think about linking to publisher materials, or any other third party materials, you should consider the following questions.
| Are images described in alternative text? | PowerPoint slides from publishers often have images without any alt text. Ask your third-party representative if their images have alt text. |
| Are the videos captioned and audio recordings transcribed? | There should be transcripts of audio recordings and captions or subtitles for videos. If they aren't available, ask the publisher representative when they will be available. If there are no plans to make them available, ask the representative to give Lone Star College written permission to transcribe or caption the media when there is an accommodation need. |
| How accessible are the E-books? | Are the images described? Are embedded objects, such as videos, keyboard accessible and captioned? Is the E-reader keyboard and screen reader accessible? |
| Can all interactive elements (media players, quizzes, flashcards, etc.) function using only the keyboard (no mouse)? | People who have visual disabilities or have upper mobility disabilities cannot use a mouse. They use the keyboard to navigate and interact with the computer. It is required that any interactive elements on a publisher's website (or on a DVD included with the book) be operable by keyboard alone if they are used in your course. |
| Can your third-party representative provide you with a VPAT or White Paper - a document that confirms accessibility or usability testing results? | A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is used by many organizations to report the level of accessibility of software products. |
| Can the multimedia materials be watched on mobile devices? | Content created in formats such as Flash or Java may not run on mobile devices and tablets. |
| What are the computer requirements for using their materials? Will the materials work on mobile devices? | Are there any special hardware or software requirements that students will need to meet? Will students be unable to view materials on their mobile devices? That information will need to go in your syllabus. |
Open Educational Resources (OER)
OERs have the same accessibility requirements as all other digital materials. However, if these resources are not accessible, they can usually be retrofitted to be accessible -- which we can't do if the materials reside on a publisher's server. Plus OERs are usually free to students! Check out the Portland Community College's page OER resources.