Ready for April 24th?
Now that we have your attention, April 24 is National Hairball Awareness Day and the day that all digital materials are required to be compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or WCAG. As you’ve probably heard, the U.S. Department of Justice has issued a final rule requiring state and local government entities, including WCU, to ensure that web content and mobile applications are accessible to people with disabilities. The compliance deadline is April 24, 2026.
The rule applies broadly to digital content created or managed by WCU faculty, staff, and students. This includes college websites, mobile apps, digital documents, online course content, as well as materials posted in Canvas. To meet the requirements, content must conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA, the recognized international standard for digital accessibility.
In practical terms, this means ensuring images have descriptive alternative text, documents and web pages use proper heading structures, and video and audio materials include accurate captions and descriptions, among other requirements.
With the compliance date approaching, now is the time to review your digital content and begin making necessary updates. A great resource is WCU’s Digital Accessibility Self-Paced course. We also recommend the downloadable Canvas Course Accessibility Checklist and to familiarize yourself with the resources contained in the Fact Sheet related to final rule updating Title II regulations of the ADA and WCAG Guidelines:
We trust that these resources, and your partners in the CFC, will make reviewing and revising your materials more efficient.