Revisions to Americans with Disabilities Act Title II now require accessibility conformance for all digital content
From: Office for Equity and Accessibility, Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies
Virginia Tech is committed to equal access and opportunity for all students, employees, and visitors to our campus. With this commitment, critical revisions to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II now require accessibility conformance to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for most digital content provided by the university or through paid third-party resources by April 24, 2026. These revisions will impact all areas of the university.
WCAG represents the rules for creating accessible documents and web pages. These rules aim to enhance digital accessibility and remove barriers that prevent people with disabilities from accessing or interacting with websites, digital tools, and technologies.
The Office for Equity and Accessibility (OEA) and Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS) are leading this initiative to address the impact of new regulations on the university. All Canvas content, webpages, apps, word-processing documents, PDFs, images, videos, spreadsheets, forms, and social media posts must be equally usable for everyone. Many documents actively used to support university operations and teaching and learning will need remediation.
Everyone creating digital content will be impacted. Furthermore, paid third-party vendors also fall under these compliance regulations, so influencing vendors to be compliant and modifying future contracts for Title II compliance is vital to Virginia Tech's successful compliance with the new rules.
What can you do?
- Become familiar with the updated regulations and the fact sheet.
- Attend workshops and webinars provided by Professional Development Network (PDN) training, LinkedIn Learning or IAAP webinars to learn more.
- Apply the Keep C.A.L.M. Campaign suggestions and resources when creating and updating your content.
- Leverage the accessibility checkers available, such as Ally and Grackle, as well as the checkers built into Microsoft 365.
The university provides dedicated resources and is committed to accessibility in physical and digital spaces, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of ability, have equitable access to the resources, opportunities, and experiences that define the Virginia Tech experience.
Look for additional information coming in early 2025 at accessibility.vt.edu (Virginia Tech Accessibility Portal).