Digital Accessibility FAQs

Digital accessibility means designing and maintaining digital content so it can be used by everyone, including people with disabilities. This includes individuals who use screen readers, captions, keyboard navigation, voice recognition software, or other assistive technologies.

Digital accessibility supports UNI’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and access. It helps ensure that students, employees, and members of the public can fully participate in university programs and services.

Digital accessibility is also required by federal law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Public universities are expected to provide accessible digital content and to address accessibility barriers when they are identified.

Responsibility for accessibility is distributed across content and system owners, with centralized coordination and support.

All university employees, units, students, contractors, vendors, and system owners share responsibility for the digital content, systems, and tools they create, manage, select, or use on behalf of the university. This includes instructional materials, websites, documents, applications, media, and third-party technologies.

The Office of Information Technology (IT) facilitates this work by providing accessibility standards, guidance, tools, coordination, and technical consultation. Student Accessibility Services (SAS) and Human Resource Services (HRS) manage accommodation processes and support individuals who encounter accessibility barriers.

Oversight is supported through a cross-campus digital accessibility governance structure.

Digital accessibility at UNI is addressed through multiple policies that work together.

Policy 13.15, Campus Accessibility and Accommodations of Disabilities, establishes the university’s commitment to equitable access and outlines accommodation processes.

Policy 14.xx, Digital Accessibility, is in draft and serves as the companion IT policy that describes the university’s expectations for accessible digital content, systems, and technology. 

This FAQ and the supporting guidance on the Digital Accessibility website explain how these policies are applied in practice across campus.

Digital content must be accessible when it is being actively used for:

• Current instruction
• Current communication
• Access to university programs, services, or activities

This includes, but is not limited to:

• Course materials and instructional content
• University websites and forms
• Videos and recorded presentations
• Software applications and online services
• Public-facing communications and social media

The age of content alone does not determine whether it must be accessible. What matters is whether the content is actively being used.

Archived content generally refers to digital materials that are:

• Not in active use for current instruction or communication
• Maintained only for historical, research, or record-keeping purposes

Examples may include past course materials that are not currently offered, outdated announcements preserved for reference, or historical publications not used in current programs.

Archived content does not require proactive remediation. However, if someone requests access to archived content, the university must provide an accessible version or an equally effective alternative upon request.

Digital accessibility is ongoing work.

UNI’s approach focuses on:

• Prioritizing digital content and systems that are actively used for instruction, communication, or access to university programs and services
• Addressing accessibility barriers as they are identified
• Building accessibility into new and updated content and systems going forward

The university recognizes that not all digital content can be remediated simultaneously. While remediation is underway, alternative access or accommodations should remain available to ensure individuals can fully participate.

UNI provides Accessibility Basics and Best Practice Guides, which describe the key practices to aim for when creating documents, course materials, websites, videos, and applications. These resources help campus partners understand what accessible content looks like in practice and where to focus their efforts.

View Digital Accessibility Basics and Best Practice Guides

UNI’s draft Digital Accessibility Policy aligns with widely recognized accessibility standards, including WCAG 2.1 Level AA or later and applicable federal and state laws.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are internationally recognized accessibility standards referenced in federal accessibility regulations such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. UNI’s accessibility guidance translates these standards into practical steps for campus use.

For those who want to review the formal standards directly:

WCAG 2.1 Accessibility Standard (W3C)
https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/

Understanding WCAG 2.1
https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/

Detailed guidance, standards, and practical expectations are published separately and maintained through the Digital Accessibility website. These resources may be updated over time as tools, practices, and requirements evolve.

View Digital Accessibility Website

UNI provides guidance to help campus partners prioritize accessibility work and make steady progress over time. These guidelines support planning and continuous improvement and are not guarantees of compliance.

For example, units may focus on high-traffic or student-facing content and use accessibility tools to identify and address common issues.

More detailed guidance is available through UNI’s Digital Accessibility Basics and Best Practice Guide.

Even when digital content or systems are provided by vendors, UNI remains responsible for ensuring accessible access to its programs and services.

The university considers accessibility during procurement and renewal processes, requests accessibility documentation from vendors, and works with vendors to address accessibility gaps when feasible. When accessibility barriers exist, alternative access or accommodations may be needed.

More detailed guidance is available through UNI’s Digital Accessibility Basics and Best Practice Guide.

Not always. A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is typically requested for vendor-provided software as part of procurement and contract review. Free or open source tools may not have a VPAT available.

However, accessibility must still be considered before using any software to support university programs, services, or instruction. The absence of a VPAT does not remove UNI’s responsibility to provide accessible access. Consider how the tool will be used and whether it supports required or high-impact activities.

If you are unsure, contact IT through Service Hub for review and guidance before broadly adopting the tool.

For systems and applications developed or maintained by UNI, the university is directly responsible for ensuring accessible access to its programs and services.

Accessibility should be considered as part of system design, development, and ongoing maintenance. This includes testing with accessibility tools and assistive technologies and addressing barriers when they are identified.

When UNI-developed systems use third-party components, libraries, or integrations, accessibility responsibilities are shared. Vendors are responsible for the accessibility of their components, while UNI is responsible for the overall user experience, documentation of known limitations, and providing alternative access or accommodations when needed.

More detailed guidance is available through UNI’s Digital Accessibility Basics and Best Practice Guide.

An accessibility barrier is a feature of digital content or technology that prevents or limits someone from accessing information or completing a task, particularly when using assistive technology such as a screen reader, captions, or keyboard navigation.

Examples include:

• Documents that cannot be read by a screen reader
• Videos without captions
• Forms or applications that cannot be completed using a keyboard
• Websites with unclear structure or navigation

When an accessibility barrier is identified, it should be reported to the content owner or system owner so it can be reviewed and addressed. 

If a barrier prevents someone from accessing required information or participating in a university activity while remediation is underway, accommodations may also be requested.

Digital accessibility focuses on proactively reducing barriers in content and systems used broadly across the university.

Accommodations are individualized supports provided when someone encounters a barrier or needs additional assistance to fully participate. 

Accessibility and accommodations work together to support equitable access.

Accessibility exceptions are permitted only in very limited circumstances and are expected to be rare. An exception may be considered only when full accessibility cannot be achieved due to an undue burden, would result in a fundamental alteration to the nature of a program, service, or activity, or when an accessible version of specific materials does not exist.

Exceptions will be documented and reviewed through a university process that is currently being established as part of UNI’s digital accessibility governance structure. Federal regulations also recognize limited exceptions for certain archived content that is not used for current instruction or communication. 

More detailed guidance is available through UNI’s Digital Accessibility Exceptions

When an exception is granted, the university must still provide an equally effective alternative means of access. Exceptions do not eliminate the obligation to provide accommodations when needed, nor do they remove the responsibility to improve accessibility when feasible

You can:

• Browse the Digital Accessibility website for resources, guidance and support
• Submit a Service Hub ticket with questions or concerns for routing to the appropriate task force or governance group

UNI will track progress through inventories, accessibility indicators, targeted reviews, and campus feedback. These results will be reviewed through the university’s digital accessibility governance structure and used to guide planning, remediation, and ongoing improvement.

Yes. Digital accessibility standards, tools, and practices evolve over time. UNI’s policies and guidance are designed to be updated as requirements change and as the university’s capacity grows.

UNI is building a coordinated, campus-wide approach to digital accessibility. This includes forming cross-functional task groups, establishing governance to set priorities, gathering baseline information, and expanding training and support over time.

Digital accessibility is shared work, and the university will continue moving through this together.