ABSTRACT
This chapter underscores accessibility training as a core component of any higher education initiative promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. It provides the blueprint for a Best Practices in Accessible Online Design course offered at Cleveland State University, with a focus on one module that showcases document design. Best Practices in Accessible Online Design is a professional development course for faculty and staff that provides a foundation in accessible online content. It guides participants in authoring content that is digitally accessible using the Blackboard learning management system and applications such as Word, PowerPoint, and Panopto. One of the most widespread software programs used by faculty for content creation is Microsoft Word. Collaborative discussion allows participants to learn from one another while encouraging social presence and student-to-student interaction. In an online discussion forum, participants receive a sample Word document with known accessibility issues. Examples of accessibility issues can include missing alternative text on images, nondescriptive hyperlinks, and tables without header rows.
