Dear UT Austin Community,

The University of Texas is committed to everyone who engages with UT Austin—students, faculty, staff, alumni, and visitors. To support this commitment and align with new Title II ADA regulations, we have implemented a new Digital Accessibility policy (HOP 3-3014). The policy will ensure a seamless digital experience for everyone to meaningfully participate in our programs, services, teaching, research, and communications.

All University digital content and technologies used for University business must meet the policy's accessibility standards by March 1, 2026. This effort reaffirms the University's commitment to accessibility, aligns with new federal regulations, and will improve usability of our digital environment.

What's Covered

The policy applies to websites, documents, multimedia, social media, online instructional materials, and any technology purchased, developed, or deployed for University business—including web applications on University-owned domains.

The technical standard is Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA (WCAG 2.1 AA); digital hardware interfaces must comply with revised Section 508 standards. Any new technology acquired after March 1, 2026 must meet these standards at launch.

What You Need To Do Now

Your specific responsibilities depend on your role, but here are the most common actions:

Content creators: Use proper headings, meaningful link text, sufficient color contrast, and alt text for images.
Video and audio producers: Caption all videos, provide transcripts, and include audio descriptions when visuals convey essential information not in the audio track.
Document authors: Use built-in styles, set reading order, and tag PDFs. Microsoft and Adobe tools include accessibility checkers—use them.
Anyone selecting platforms or tools: Verify accessibility before adoption and post University content only on accessible platforms.
Procurement and contract owners: Include accessibility review in technology purchases and renewals.

Where To Get Help

Policy, procedures, exceptions, and FAQs: Digital Accessibility Policy and Procedures.
Ally Accessibility Platform: guidance for accessibility updates in Canvas.
Digital Accessibility Center | Enterprise Technology: captioning and transcription, document remediation, web accessibility scanning, consultations, and training. Contact digital.accessibility@austin.utexas.edu.
Institutional Accessibility and Accommodation (IAA): policy questions and information about exceptions. Contact ada@austin.utexas.edu.
Report an accessibility barrier: Report a Barrier Form.

Thank you for helping us deliver accessible digital experiences across the Forty Acres.

Sincerely,
Cole Camplese
Vice President of Technology and Chief Information Officer

Jeff Graves
Chief Compliance Officer

This communication is from University Risk and Compliance Services – Official.
View this email online.

The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | 78712 US