Image by Diego Velázquez from Pixabay

Digital Accessibility

The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Title II digital accessibility requirements include additional components related to how we create, publish, and maintain digital content such as course materials, social media, websites, and other communications. While these requirements were originally set to be enforced beginning April 24, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice has issued an Interim Final Rule delaying enforcement of the digital accessibility rule by one year. This means that public entities serving populations of 50,000 (which includes institutions like WCU, as part of the UNC System) will now be required to comply by April 24, 2027.

Even with this delay, WCU is continuing to move forward with accessibility efforts because accessible content supports our students, employees, and community and helps ensure everyone can fully participate in all aspects of the university. Building accessibility into digital content from the outset reduces the need for later remediation and helps ensure content is usable by the widest possible audience from the start. WCU is offering resources to support this work, including guidance aligned with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which are internationally recognized standards for accessible digital content. Our learning management system, Canvas, also includes tools that can help address accessibility. Please visit digitalaccessibility.wcu.edu for additional information and watch for future updates.

April 24 is the Deadline for Accessibility Compliance, and, Coincidentally, National Bucket List Day

Every year on April 24, people around the world celebrate National Bucket List Day; a moment to reflect on the experiences we want to have, the barriers we want to break, and the goals we want to accomplish. It’s a day about access: access to adventure, meaning, and full participation in life. 

Approximately 1 in 5 college students lives with a disability, whether that’s a visual impairment, a learning difference like dyslexia, a chronic illness, or a mental health condition. Many of these students never disclose their disability and never request formal accommodations. They simply struggle quietly with materials that were never designed with them in mind. 

When we make our course content accessible, we don’t just serve students with documented disabilities. We serve: 

• Students with temporary conditions – a broken wrist, an eye infection, recovering from surgery 
• Students who are English language learners – who benefit from captions and clear document structure 
• Students accessing materials on mobile devices in low-bandwidth environments 
• Every student, because clarity, structure, and usability benefit everyone 

Accessibility isn’t a special accommodation. It’s good course design. 

The April 24 deadline applies to your digitally distributed course materials: documents, presentations, videos, and links posted in your Canvas course site. Here’s a quick checklist: 

These changes have the highest impact on accessibility:  

• Headings: Ensure Canvas pages use logical headings (Heading 2, Heading 3, etc.) rather than just bolding and/or enlarging text, and don’t skip levels. This allows screen reader users to navigate your content quickly.  
• Color: Stop using most colored or highlighted text and avoid using color alone to convey meaning. These issues make reading difficult for learners who are colorblind, have low vision, or have light sensitivities.  
• Alternative Text (Alt Text): Provide brief descriptions for images. If an image is purely decorative, mark it as such so screen reader software knows to skip it. This enables learners who are visually impaired to fully grasp your content without adding unnecessary cognitive load.  
• Descriptive Hyperlinks: Avoid using raw URLs and instead create link text that describes the destination. Avoid generic link text, such as “link,” “here,” “click here,” and “more info.” As a general guideline, use the title of the page you’re linking to. This not only looks nicer and gives all learners an idea of what to expect when they click on the link, but it also helps screen reader users avoid excessive, nonsensical noise. For example: 
  • Worst: https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/  
  • Bad: Click here for more info.  
  • Best: The rules and guidance regarding accessibility are a mandate and are summarized on the ADA Fact Sheet     
• Lists: Be sure to use the Rich Content Editor tools for making ordered or bulleted lists rather than manually typing out numbers or symbols. This provides structure that helps screen reader users understand the relationships of content.  
• Accessible Files: Focus on your most-used files first. Use the built-in accessibility checkers in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint before uploading them or converting to a PDF.  
• Tables: Use tables only to display data, not for a particular layout. Tables must also include headers and should be simple – no merged or split cells. These features help assistive technology users navigate and understand data.  
• Video Captions: Ensure any video content you’ve created has accurate captions. This supports students with hearing impairments as well as those in noisy environments or those who process information better through reading.  

If you’re unsure where to start, the Coulter Faculty Commons is offering support and one-on-one consultations through April 23. Don’t wait. 

April 24 gives us a deadline. Let’s use it as a catalyst, not just to check a compliance box, but to genuinely reflect on whether our courses are as open, welcoming, and usable as they can be. 

Questions? Contact the Coulter Faculty Commons at cfc.wcu.edu.