Memo from University Leadership Regarding Mandatory Accessibility Requirements |
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Dear Faculty and Instructors,
We’re writing to share an important requirement related to digital accessibility in our classes and to clarify the upcoming deadlines required by the federal government to bring us into compliance. These deadlines are relevant for all course materials and web content at the University of Utah.
At the U, accessibility is not just a compliance requirement—it is a reflection of who we are and how we show up for students. Creating digital environments that are usable, inclusive and welcoming for all learners is essential to student success, and it is work that many across campus are already leading with care and intention. More information is available in this @theU story.
What you need to do – deadlines
By April 24, 2026, all academic web content, online course materials, and institutional digital content must conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s new ADA Title II digital accessibility rule sets this compliance deadline, which applies to state and local government entities, including public universities like ours. Starting on that date, accessibility requirements are enforceable, and failure to comply can result in complaints, enforcement actions, or legal risk.
What you need to know – Accessibility Essentials
The Accessibility Essentials content on the Center for Teaching Excellence site outlines critical practices for making course materials accessible to all learners — including students with disabilities. This includes clear expectations for:
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- WCAG 2.1 AA standards for digital content (Canvas pages, documents, images, videos, etc.)
- Alternative text for images
- Closed captions/transcripts on videos
- Proper color contrast and text formatting
- Descriptive links and accessible PDFs
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All of these practices help ensure equitable access for students using assistive technologies such as screen readers. You can access training regarding how to meet these accessibility requirements here:
https://cte.utah.edu/instructor-education/accessibility-essentials/index.php
Why this matters – Federal legal requirements
Under federal law (Section 504 and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act), institutions receiving federal funds — including public universities — must ensure accessible digital content for people with disabilities. This includes course content used in Canvas, departmental websites, instructional materials, and other electronic information.
What this means for your work
As soon as possible, please review the information, training, and tools available on the Accessibility Essentials website. What you find there will help you take the following steps prior to the April 24 deadline:
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- Review all Canvas pages, syllabi, and course documents for accessibility.
- Add alternative text to images and ensure descriptive link text.
- Provide closed captions and transcripts for multimedia.
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Check PDFs and other files for accessibility using tools like CIDILabs Accessibility Suite or Adobe accessibility checkers. Note that some exceptions may apply, if the online content in question is not currently being used and will not be used in the future. Please see the ADA.gov Fact Sheet for more information.
- Contact the Digital Learning Technologies team for help — they can assist with audits and remediation: classhelp@utah.edu.
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What this means for all university websites
University professionals from IT and UMC are managing compliance with these new regulations for department and college externally facing websites.
For example, all UMC-hosted sites have been added to its AxeMonitor platform, which provides access to each site’s dashboard to review current accessibility scans. UMC is also working on testing themes and widgets to make sure its underlying framework is accessible.
If you’re managing content on a university website and need additional information, reach out to the campus digital teams and webmasters who have helped you set up your website, including:
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Accessibility Essentials video series and how-to guides linked on the CTE Accessibility page
- Digital accessibility support from Digital Learning Technologies (more information on the CTE Accessibility page)
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Campus accessibility offices and training workshops
- ADA.gov Fact Sheet
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Ensuring accessible content benefits all learners and helps us comply with federal law. Thank you for your attention to this important requirement.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bob Carter, EVPHS
Dr. Mitzi Montoya, EVPAA
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Upcoming CTE and Partner Workshops |
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Graduate Student Instructor Training in Pedagogy |
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Almost every department on campus includes graduate student instructors in some way, whether as sole course instructors, TAs, lab section leaders, or other roles. Did you know that CTE offers graduate student training in pedagogy? We offer a 15-credit online , and most of those courses can be taken individually. Courses are offered fall and spring.
In Spring, our course offerings include a graduate special topics seminar in Teaching with AI. Spots are still open!
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Digital Learning Technologies |
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Join us for Tech Tips Tuesday! Every other week features Canvas or Accessibility related tools, and Adobe Express Learning Kit, you can use in your teaching or personal projects. Check out the schedule and drop in for the topics that inspire you!
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Financial Wellness Center |
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Upcoming Funding Deadlines |
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295 S 1500 E | Salt Lake City , UT 84112 US
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