OCR Video Series

Office of Civil Rights

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is proud to announce a video series covering a variety of topics on digital access in education, including how people with disabilities use technology, applicable Federal regulations, and identifying and remediating barriers to access.  Whether you are in the educational field or not, these videos have wide ranging coverage for those who want to know: What makes technology accessible for individuals with disabilities? And how can I make my site or platform more accessible?

All videos on this page are open-captioned.

For questions or comments regarding this video series, please contact the Office of Civil Rights at OCR@ed.gov

[Open Captioned Video] [3:26 min]
Intro

An Introduction to Digital Accessibility

Meet Catherine Lhamon, the Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, as she introduces key topics in the area of digital accessibility in education.

[Open Captioned Video] [5:58 min]
Topic 1

Digital Accessibility: Three Points About the Law

Learn about two Federal civil rights laws relevant to digital accessibility in the educational context: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.


[Open Captioned Video] [6:02 min]
Topic 2

How Some People with Disabilities Use Technology

Meet some students and parents with disabilities and learn how they interact with and use technology.

[Open Captioned Video] [6:25 min]
Topic 3

Recommended Practices & Tips for Digital Accessibility

Learn some helpful tips to providing quality online experiences to everyone.


[Open Captioned Video] [3:55 min]
Topic 4

Vendors and Partnerships

Explore ideas for partnering with institutions and working with vendors to meet your digital accessibility goals.

[Open Captioned Video] [3:17 min]
Topic 5

Creating an Organizational Culture that Embraces Accessibility

Explore thoughtful approaches to partner with key stakeholders and mission-critical individuals within your organization to create a seamless, supportive culture around digital accessibility.


[Open Captioned Video] [5:10 min]
Topic 6

The Importance of Manual Testing for Digital Accessibility

Learn why manual testing is important and how to incorporate reliable testing protocols into your workflow.

[Open Captioned Video] [4:06 min]
Topic 7

Keyboard Access and Visual Focus Indicators

Explore fundamental concepts of testing for keyboard access and visual focus indicators, barriers typically missed by automated checkers.


[Open Captioned Video] [3:06 min]
Topic 8

Testing When the Screen is Magnified

Dive deeper into manual testing, and see what can happen to navigation and content when web pages are enlarged by people with low vision.

[Open Captioned Video] [4:05 min]
Topic 9

Logical Reading Order

Check out what can go wrong when web pages don’t follow a logical reading order for people who rely on keyboard navigation and screen readers.


[Open Captioned Video] [5:08 min]
Topic 10

Alternative Text

Learn about alternative text and why it is important for people who cannot see photographs and graphic images.

[Open Captioned Video] [4:33 min]
Topic 11

Fillable Forms

Forms can be a useful way of collecting information from your users. Do you know how to make sure everyone can use them?


[Open Captioned Video] [3:39 min]
Topic 12

Buttons & Form Controls

Learn about form fields and buttons used on web pages, and how to test them for specific accessibility concerns.

[Open Captioned Video] [5:14 min]
Topic 13

Use of Color Alone to Convey Information

What to think about when using color to convey information.


[Open Captioned Video] [3:40 min]
Topic 14

Color Contrast

How to check for sufficient color contrast, and why it’s important.

[Open Captioned Video] [3:58 min]
Topic 15

Links

All about links: how they are used in navigation, labelling concerns, and distinguishing them from surrounding text.


[Open Captioned Video] [4:11 min]
Topic 16

Tables

Do you need to use a data table on your web page? If so, learn how to appropriately format table content to ensure everyone can understand your data.

[Open Captioned Video] [3:11 min]
Topic 17

Heading Structure

Learn how to use heading structure on a web page so everyone can navigate your content with ease.


[Open Captioned Video] [5:11 min]
Topic 18

Video Captioning

What counts as “success” when captioning your videos – and how to avoid epic (and embarrassing) gaffes.

[Open Captioned Video] [3:53 min]
Topic 19

Reporting & Responding to Digital Barriers for People with Disabilities

A discussion of best practices for how schools can be aware of potential barriers and respond to such concerns, and tips for people with disabilities who experience barriers.