A syllabus is a working document, not just a course introduction. Students use it to find the grading system, important dates, required materials, office hours and help when something goes wrong. Before you publish yours, it is worth reviewing both its accessibility and the experience of finding information in it.
Start with the questions students will ask
Open your syllabus as though you are seeing the course for the first time. Can you identify the instructor’s contact information, course schedule, grading policy, accommodation process and due dates without searching through long paragraphs? If a rule matters, is it described consistently wherever it appears?
A document can be technically structured yet still be unnecessarily difficult to use. Clear sections, direct language and predictable labels help many students, including students using assistive technology.
Check the actual Word structure
- Headings: Use built-in Word Heading styles, in a logical hierarchy. Visual bolding alone does not create a navigable heading.
- Tables: Use tables for data such as assessment weights or schedules, not to create complex page layouts. Identify header rows and confirm reading order.
- Links: Write destination-specific link text. “Office of Accessibility Services” is more useful than “click here.” Confirm links actually work.
- Images: Give meaningful graphics relevant alternative text and mark purely decorative images appropriately.
- Color: Verify contrast and make sure important distinctions are not communicated through color alone.
- Language and metadata: Set document language and a useful document title; check these properties after copying material from another file.
Separate legal requirements from best-practice guidance
WCAG 2.2 is the latest stable WCAG 2 Recommendation. W3C’s WCAG2ICT provides informative guidance on applying relevant WCAG principles to non-web electronic documents. Applicable Section 508, ADA, Section 504 and institutional obligations can differ; a Word document cannot honestly be declared compliant solely because a template was used.
Official references: WCAG 2.2 and WCAG2ICT overview.
Test before distribution
Run Word’s built-in Accessibility Checker and resolve what it identifies. Next, try keyboard navigation and a screen reader where possible. Ask a colleague unfamiliar with the course to find five critical answers. This catches usability questions an automated checker cannot.
When you update a deadline or policy, examine every other place it appears. Contradictions are particularly troublesome when different sections say different things about late work, exams or grading.
When the cost is repeating the research
Building and comparing a usable syllabus from scratch takes time. The Faculty Accessibility Syllabus Toolkit is an editable, research-informed 12-file system that includes a Word syllabus, three filled examples, accessibility guidance, policy-language options, student-email templates and a first-day presentation. It is for individual instructor use and is not a legal compliance certification.
Best time to check: before the next academic term, while you can still address barriers without having to reissue essential information to students.