The U.S. Department of Justice issued a rule requiring that by April 24, 2026, all public universities and colleges (and state and local governments generally) ensure all digital content is fully accessible for people with disabilities. Specifically, digital content must comply with the requirements of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.
What Must Be Accessible?
- Blackboard and other learning management systems
- Course materials (e.g., syllabi, readings, PDFs, slides, video/audio, publisher materials)
- Websites, including academic and administrative departments and offices
- Mobile apps for registration, library access, transportation, safety, student services, etc.
- Other digitally distributed content, whether shared publicly or internally
- Online tools, platforms, and software used in instruction or administration
- Social media posts
What Faculty and Staff Should Do Now
- Ensure that documents have clear headings and structure.
- Ensure that content is keyboard-navigable.
- Provide alternative (alt) text for all images, unless they are purely decorative.
Documents (PDFs, Word Docs, Slides, etc.)
- Use structured headings, lists, and styles (not manual formatting).
- Use “sans serif” fonts (e.g., Aptos, Calibri, etc.)
- Provide alternative (alt) text for any meaningful image; other images should be marked as decorative.
- Ensure there is a logical reading order (especially in slides).
- Use tagged, searchable PDFs (not scans of text); title all PDFs.
- Check color contrast and table headers.
Blackboard
- Organize pages with clear headings and predictable layouts.
- Use descriptive link text (avoid “click here”).
- Ensure quizzes and interactive tools are screen-reader compatible and keyboard navigable.
- Use Blackboard Ally to check for accessibility.
Video and Audio
- Provide captions for all videos. If your video are auto-captioned in YouTube, review and edit the captions as needed.
- Make transcripts available for audio content (e.g., podcasts).
- Ensure videos do not contain flashing or flickering, which could trigger seizures.
- Use players with keyboard access.
Third-Party or Publisher Materials
- Verify that any digital textbooks, tools, and other content meet accessibility standards or provide an equally effective alternative.
Social Media
- Provide alternative (alt) text to all images.
Exceptions
Archive Content
- The content must have been created before the public entity was required to comply with the rule.
- It cannot have been changed since it was archived.
- In a specially identified area for archived content
- Must be kept exclusively for reference, research, or recordkeeping
- Web content that reproduces paper documents or reproduces the contents of other paper media before the date can be considered archived.
- Minor adjustments, such as redacting personally identifiable information, are allowed.
- Public entities may not circumvent their accessibility obligations by merely labeling their web content as “archived” or by refusing to make accessible any content that is old.
Social Media
- Social media content created before the deadline is not required to be remediated.