Digital Accessibility Governance and Coordination

The University of Northern Iowa is establishing a coordinated, campus-wide approach to digital accessibility. This work supports UNI’s commitment to providing equitable access to university programs and services and aligns with federal accessibility requirements under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Digital accessibility work at UNI is coordinated through a cross-campus governance structure that brings together partners responsible for technology, instruction, communications, accessibility services and university operations.

This group helps guide campus progress, coordinate resources and support departments as accessibility practices are integrated into everyday digital work.

Digital Accessibility at the University of Northern Iowa

Governance Role

The digital accessibility governance group helps coordinate accessibility work across the university by:

  • Providing campus-wide coordination and guidance
  • Aligning accessibility practices across functional areas
  • Identifying priorities and emerging needs
  • Supporting communication and training across campus
  • Gathering feedback from units and helping address barriers
  • Coordinating work with accessibility task groups and subject-matter experts

This group does not perform all accessibility work directly. Instead, it helps connect campus partners, coordinate shared guidance and support consistent practices across the university.

Task Groups and Areas of Focus

Digital accessibility responsibilities span many types of digital content and technology systems. To support this work, task groups are forming around key areas of focus across campus.

These task groups bring together subject-matter experts who work directly with the relevant platforms, content types and campus processes.

Current areas of focus include:

Websites and Web Applications

University websites, departmental pages, web forms and interactive online services.

Multimedia

Video, audio recordings, livestreams and other media that require captions, transcripts or other accessibility features.

Digital Documents

PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets and other downloadable files.

Course and Instructional Content

Materials used in instruction, including content in the learning management system (Blackboard), course documents, videos and third-party learning tools.

Software and Applications

Enterprise systems, web applications, mobile apps, and third-party platforms used to deliver university programs or services.

Additional areas such as digital signage and social media may be addressed through future coordination efforts as guidance and priorities continue to evolve. Guidance for these can be found in the UNI Digital Accessibility Basics and Best Practices Guide.

Task groups help develop practical guidance, identify common barriers and support improvements within their respective areas.

Campus Partners

Digital accessibility work at UNI involves collaboration across many areas of the university. Representatives from key functional areas participate in coordination and task group activities to support accessibility across digital content, systems and services.

Campus partners may include representatives from:

  • Academic Affairs and the Provost’s Office
  • Information Technology
  • Rod Library and academic library services
  • Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and instructional support units
  • Student Accessibility Services and disability support programs
  • Office of Civil Rights Compliance and institutional compliance offices
  • University Relations, Marketing, and Communications
  • Online and Distance Education programs
  • Human Resource Services and employee training programs
  • Administrative and operational units that manage digital services
  • Academic colleges and departments
  • Student Life and student-facing service units

Additional partners may join as task groups develop and accessibility work continues across campus.

How This Work Continues

Digital accessibility is ongoing work that evolves as digital tools, teaching practices and university services change.

UNI’s approach focuses on:

  • Building accessibility into new and updated digital content
  • Identifying and addressing accessibility barriers over time
  • Expanding training, guidance and resources across campus
  • Supporting departments as accessibility becomes part of regular digital workflows

This governance structure helps coordinate these efforts and ensures accessibility remains integrated into UNI’s long-term digital strategy.