Course Syllabus

This PDF shows an example of an abbreviated syllabus that highlights relevant features of an accessible document. Descriptions, as well as best practices, on how and why it is important to incorporate these features into your syllabi are detailed in the rest of this KB article.

  • File Setup
    • Does the document file name not contain spaces and/or special characters?
    • Is the document file name concise, generally limited to 20-30 characters, and does it make the contents of the file clear?
    • Have the document properties for Title, Author, Subject (AKA Description), Keywords, Language, and Copyright Status been completed for your PDF file and/or Word document?
    • Have you set your Word document or PDF file language to English?
    • Have track changes been accepted or rejected and turned off?
    • Have comments been removed from your PDF file and/or Word document and formatting marks been turned off?
  • Text
    • Does the document utilize recommended fonts (i.e., Open Sans, Gentium Book, Times New Roman, Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, or Calibri)?
    • Are heading styles organized in a hierarchal and logical fashion, with consecutive headings (i.e., no missing heading levels)?
    • Is the list style being used, as opposed to manually typed characters (e.g. Hyphens, numbers, or graphics)?
    • Is content clear and concise?
    • Is all text logical in the Outline View?
    • Do all URLs contain descriptive hyperlinks (i.e., avoid generic phrases like "click here"; instead, use phrases that let users know about the content of the linked page prior to selecting it)?
    • Is the color contrast ratio between foreground text and background color sufficient?
    • Does your syllabus have an accessibility statement of support for students with disabilities?
    • Are you using the Faculty Senate UC Syllabus Template?
  • Images
  • Tables
  • Accessibility Check