Accessibility guidelines can be confusing. The POUR principles of Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust can help. Each principle represents standards and guidelines for ensuring accessibility in digital materials and technologies. If you're acquiring or procuring materials and technologies for your classroom, district, or state, there are questions you can ask to make sure all students can use the materials selected.

If you are new to accessibility, this resource is meant to be your entry point into the creation of accessible content with familiar tools such as Microsoft Office and Google Docs. You will learn about five practices (captured in the mnemonic SLIDE) that can have a significant impact on the learner experience for all students, especially those who rely on assistive technology for their access to the curriculum.

Each of the practices is described in more detail in a playlist of closed-captioned videos with step-by-step directions you can follow at your own pace. Pause the videos, try things out, and reach out to staff at the National AEM Center at CAST if you have any questions. While the practices are explained in the context of creating an accessible document, with one exception (Styles) the techniques apply to slide decks as well.

The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.