Digital Accessibility

On April 24, 2024, the Federal Register published the Department of Justice’s final rule updating its regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The final rule has specific requirements to ensure that all digital content is accessible to people with disabilities. The deadline for compliance is April 24, 2026.

What needs to be made accessible?

All digital content that we create, share, or purchase for our students and community needs to be usable and perceivable by people with disabilities. That includes, but is not limited to:

  • Webpages
  • Canvas courses
  • Emails
  • Digital forms
  • Videos
  • Presentations
  • PDF files
  • Meeting agendas
  • Notes

How do I make it accessible?

There are several ways to ensure your digital content is accessible to people who are blind or have low vision, who are deaf or hard of hearing, or who have motor or cognitive disabilities. For instance:

For Text-Based Materials

  • Alt Text: Provide accurate and descriptive alt text for all images, graphics, and charts.
  • Descriptive Hyperlinks: Use descriptive hyperlink text that indicates the destination or purpose of the link, avoiding generic phrases like "click here” or full URLs.
  • Headings: Organize content with a logical document heading structure (i.e., H1, H2, H3).
  • Text Contrast: Ensure strong contrast between text and background colors.
  • Font Color: Avoid using color alone to convey meaning; use other visual cues instead.
  • Lists: Use properly formatted bulleted or numbered lists to organize information. Do not type numbers or dashes for bullets.
  • Tables: Ensure that tables are properly structured with clear row and column headers.
  • Plain Language: Communicate information in a straightforward way by eliminating unnecessary jargon, complex sentence structures, and overly technical terms.

For Multimedia

  • Captions: Ensure that all videos have accurate, synchronized captions, including dialogue, sound effects, and relevant non-verbal audio information.
  • Transcripts: Provide full transcripts for audio-based materials (i.e. podcasts, lectures).
  • Auto-Captions/Auto-Transcripts: Review and edit any auto-generated captions or transcripts to ensure that all content accurately reflects the spoken material.
  • Video Length: Check that videos are not unnecessarily long (over 15 minutes) and include the length of each video in parentheses.
  • Audio Quality: Ensure audio quality is clear and avoid background noise.

What Tools are Available?

Grackle

If you use Google Docs or Google Slides, you can add Grackle Docs to your account. It will scan your Google Docs and Slides for accessibility issues, and it will show you how to fix them.

How to Install Grackle

  • Open a Google Doc, Sheet, or Slide you want to check. 
  • Click on the Extensions tab in the top menu. 
  • Hover over Add-ons and then click on Get add-ons. 
  • This will open the Google Workspace Marketplace. 
  • In the search bar, type "Grackle". 
  • Select the specific Grackle add-on for the document type you are using (e.g., Grackle Docs, Grackle Slides, or Grackle Sheets). 
  • Click the Install button. 
  • Follow the on-screen instructions to grant Grackle the necessary permissions to access your Google account. 
  • Once installed, the Grackle add-on will appear in your Extensions menu, allowing you to launch it and begin checking your document for accessibility. 

Where can I get training and support? 

The following accessibility training is available:

For additional support, submit an IT ticket to contact the Technology Resource Center.