About digital accessibility

What is digital accessibility?

Digital accessibility means designing websites, documents, videos, and other online content so everyone can access and use them, including people with disabilities.

Accessible content works with assistive technologies like screen readers, captions, and keyboard navigation, and improves usability for everyone.

Why accessibility matters

Accessibility is both a legal requirement and a shared responsibility.

Federal laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 require universities to provide equal access to digital information and services. Accessible design also makes content easier for everyone to read, navigate, and use.

Accessibility guidelines and standards

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide the international standard for making digital content accessible. These guidelines were developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and are widely used by universities and public institutions.

The University of Alaska requires digital content to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA, the same standard adopted by the ADA Title II requirements.

Following WCAG helps ensure that websites, documents, videos, and online services are accessible to people with disabilities and usable for everyone.

The Four Principles of Accessibility (POUR)

WCAG is organized around four core principles known as POUR. Accessible digital content should be:

Perceivable

Information must be presented in ways users can perceive, such as providing alt text for images and captions for videos.

Operable

Users must be able to navigate and interact with content using keyboards, assistive technologies, or other input methods.

Understandable
Content and navigation should be clear, consistent, and easy to understand.
Robust
Content should be built using standards that work reliably with assistive technologies and modern web browsers.

 

绿奴天花板 accessibility requirements

To support accessibility across the university, 绿奴天花板 websites and digital content must:

  • Meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards
  • Include the 绿奴天花板 Notice of Nondiscrimination and 绿奴天花板 Web Accessibility Notice in website footers
  • Ensure that documents, videos, forms, and third-party tools linked from 绿奴天花板 websites are accessible
  • Conduct regular accessibility checks and remediation

Website owners should also maintain internal procedures for managing accessibility, including identifying responsible administrators and regularly reviewing content for accessibility issues.

绿奴天花板 IT Policy: Web Content Accessibility Standard

Review specific MAU requirements

绿奴天花板 System web guidelines

 

Resource guides, documentation and training

Any digital content you create should be accessible. Use the guides below to learn accessibility best practices and explore resources for creating accessible content across platforms.

Websites
Create and maintain accessible websites. Learn how to structure content with proper headings, write meaningful link text, add alternative text to images, ensure sufficient color contrast, and build accessible forms and navigation.
Documents
Create accessible Word, PDF, and other documents. Use built-in styles, apply proper headings and lists, format accessible tables, add alternative text, and properly tag PDFs for screen readers.
Audio/video media
Produce accessible audio/video content. Add accurate captions and transcripts, and provide audio descriptions when needed.

 

Meetings
Plan and host supportive in-person and virtual meetings. Create accessible slides, enable live captions, share materials in advance, and use clear communication practices to support full participation.
Courses and LMS
Design and maintain accessible online and hybrid courses. Structure course content clearly, ensure uploaded materials are accessible, caption multimedia, and follow accessibility best practices in the learning management system.
Social media
Publish accessible social media content. Write descriptive alt text, use camel case hashtags, caption videos, maintain strong color contrast, and write clear, descriptive links.