Supporting Accessible Learning Resources

SERC is taking a multi-pronged approach to improving the accessibility of geoscience education resources as part of the Compass project. Resources that follow accessibility best practices improve both equity of access as well as the effectiveness of those resources for all students.

We've developed Accessibility Guidelines for SERC Authors and Contributors that provide an introduction to the core accessibility skills and knowledge that all instructors should have. This not only serves as a guide for folks sharing materials through SERC sites, but also a starting point for instructors who just want to improve the accessibility of the materials they create for their own students.

Our work also includes direct improvements to Serckit, our web publishing platform, to help ensure our website is as accessible as possible. This includes building just-in-time guidance for authors into the editing system, as well as changes to the underlying engine to align with accessibility standards.  We've coupled this with new training for SERC staff so that as we interact with our partners we can bring awareness and expertise about accessibility to all the work we do.