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Digital Accessibility Guide for Theses and Dissertations

Guidance for making your theses and dissertations accessible to all

Digital Accessibility

Thank you for your efforts to upload accessible ETDs and for ensuring that the results of your hard work and academic discipline are available to all current and future readers. Your audience may include a wide range of individuals with varying abilities. Some of these abilities can impact how people access and read your work.

General principles of universally accessible content will help you ensure that your work can be accessed and read by the widest possible audience. While it is best practice to write while assessing for accessibility, the instructions in this guide outline what is to be done at the END OF WRITING AND REVIEW, when you are READY TO SUBMIT your final electronic thesis or dissertation. 

These instructions were written for use with Microsoft 365. These guidelines are based on guides for creating accessible documents written by Kent State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Toronto.

Why Accessibility?

In line with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires public entities like our university to make their programs and services accessible to individuals with differing abilities, we have developed this resource to help you create accessible theses and dissertations.

When preparing your thesis or dissertation for digital submission, it is essential to consider web accessibility. This ensures that your work can be read and interacted with by a wide range of users, including those with visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor impairments. To help you meet these accessibility standards, follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, which provide specific rules for ensuring that digital content is accessible to all users.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of key elements to focus on:

  1. Text Alternatives for Images: Provide clear, descriptive alternative text ("alt text") for all images and non-text content, ensuring that individuals using screen readers can understand the visual elements in your work.

  2. Keyboard Accessibility: Ensure that all interactive elements, such as hyperlinks, tables of contents, or references, can be accessed and navigated using only the keyboard.

  3. Color Usage: Avoid relying solely on color to convey meaning. Use additional indicators, such as text labels and/or patterns, to ensure that your content is understandable to individuals with color vision deficiencies.

  4. Logical Structure: Use proper document structure to organize your content clearly, allowing users with assistive technologies to easily navigate through your thesis.

  5. Contrast: Ensure that text has a sufficient contrast against the background to ensure readability for individuals with low vision.

  6. Text Resizing: Your text should be resizeable up to 200% without loss of content or functionality. This allows users with low vision to adjust the document to a comfortable size.

  7. Navigation and Headings: Organize your thesis or dissertation using clear and consistent headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to help users quickly find sections of interest. Ensure that links and navigation are easy to follow.

  8. Consistent Identification: Ensure that elements, such as links, are clearly and consistently labeled throughout your thesis so that users can predict the action they will trigger.

By following these guidelines, you will ensure that your thesis or dissertation is available to the widest possible audience—both today and in the future.