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.

University units and people who create, manage, or select digital content and technology on UNI’s behalf are responsible for accessibility within their areas. Vendors may need to correct barriers in the products they provide, while UNI remains responsible for access to its programs and services.

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.

Policy 13.15, Campus Accessibility & Accommodations of Disabilities, includes a Digital Spaces section addressing accessible public-facing content, university web pages, and university-sponsored videos. The policy also describes individual accommodation processes and how to report concerns. The guidance on this website helps campus units put digital accessibility expectations into practice.

UNI digital content and technology used to provide instruction, employment, programs, services, activities, and communications should be accessible. Under the Title II rule, covered web content and mobile apps must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA by April 26, 2027, subject to the rule’s defined exceptions.

• 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

Current use helps units prioritize existing work, but age or low use alone does not create an exception.

Older or unused material is not automatically archived web content under the Title II rule. To qualify, web content must have been created before April 26, 2027, or reproduce qualifying older physical material; be kept only for reference, research, or recordkeeping; be stored in an area clearly identified as an archive; and remain unchanged since it was archived. All four conditions must be met. Material used for a current course, program, or service generally does not qualify. Even when the exception applies, UNI must respond when someone needs access to the material. See Digital Accessibility Exceptions.

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

The federal Title II web and mobile application rule requires covered web content and mobile apps to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA by April 26, 2027. UNI Policy 13.15, Campus Accessibility & Accommodations of Disabilities, includes broader Digital Spaces requirements for university content. UNI’s guidance on this website helps campus units apply accessibility practices across the materials and systems they manage.

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

For covered web content and mobile apps, WCAG 2.1 Level AA by April 26, 2027, is the federal compliance requirement. For work now, use the relevant Basics guide when creating or updating content. For existing material, begin with what people need for current instruction, employment, programs, and services, and address reported barriers promptly. Accessibility tool scores can help identify issues, but they do not certify compliance.

UNI remains responsible for access to programs and services delivered through vendor products and platforms, including web content and mobile apps provided through contractual or licensing arrangements. A limited exception for certain content posted by unaffiliated third parties does not automatically apply to vendor services UNI selects or uses. Departments selecting or renewing a tool should request available accessibility documentation, identify known barriers, and seek consultation when needed. UNI’s procurement and vendor-review practices are being developed.

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.

The Title II web and mobile application rule contains five limited exceptions for specific types of content. Review their criteria; do not assume that older material, vendor content, or the lack of an accessible version qualifies. Fundamental alteration and undue financial and administrative burdens are separate institutional determinations that require review and written documentation. UNI must still provide access to the maximum extent possible. The university process for requesting a determination is being developed.

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

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.