In April 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a rule requiring public entities to make their digital content accessible by April 24, 2026. This rule applies to all web and social media content, third-party products, mobile apps, and course content. Please refer to the Office of the General Counsel’s legal alert on Web Accessibility for Public Entities for a full list of requirements and exceptions. The following reflects the University Information Technology Services (UITS) project team efforts so far:

Completed Activities

  • The Digital Experience team has completed development of four self-paced digital accessibility training courses: 
    • Develop Accessible Presentations
    • Write Accessible Emails
    • Create Accessible Social Media Posts
    • Create Accessible Excel Spreadsheets
    • Create Accessible Knowledge Articles
    • Create Accessible Slack Posts
    • Introduction to Video Accessibility
  • The following departments have had Accessibility Training Rolled out:
    • Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Equity
    • Board of Trustees
    • Communications
    • Internal Audit
    • Office of the General Counsel (assignment happening at individual level due to current workload)
    • UITS
  • Developed an Accessibility Tracker, a Digital Accessibility Compliance Third-Party Product Testing Plan, and Third-Party Testing Product Guide for Product Owners
     

In Progress Activities

  • Review website PDFs and work with departments to convert to HTML, native formats, or web forms where possible. 
  • Work with Administration and Finance (A&F) to plan training roll out to A&F departments. 
  • Coordinate critical product testing at UITS and prioritize testing at A&F.
  • Update University marketing videos with captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions. 
  • Develop Phase 2 training content that will focus on web content accessibility, delivering accessible presentations, and an introduction to assistive technology. 
     

What to Expect Next

  • The evaluation process for the Document Remediation RFP is underway. The pool has been narrowed down to 2–3 finalist vendors.
  • The Security team is currently reviewing the HECVAT (Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Tool) for the document remediation services. 
  • Administration and Finance (A&F) is defining an accessible procurement strategy.

     

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the project team: Rob Baker, Kristina England, Ron Agrella or Ana Ligia Rezende.