New accessibility requirements will soon affect UC Davis employees who create websites, videos, PDFs and other online content — and resources are available to help.

The new rules are part of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and take effect in April and May, respectively. 

The new requirements mean that “all public education institutions are responsible for ensuring that their digital and web content, mobile applications and online experiences are accessible, with limited exceptions,” according to the UC Office of the President, which also provided this overview:

How is accessibility defined?

Under the new regulations, “accessible” is measured by conformance to Level A and Level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or WCAG, version 2.1.

What digital properties are covered under the ADA rule?

All website and app content, files and experiences must meet WCAG 2.1 AA. This includes:

• All text and media files, including PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint slide decks, Excel spreadsheets, charts, diagrams, data visualizations and other graphics, eLearning modules, MP3s, videos, social media posts and other files posted online
• Zoom webinars
• Third-party digital content UC procures, provides, utilizes or otherwise makes available via contractual, licensing or other arrangements

These regulations apply to both the publicly available digital content, platforms and experiences that UC manages, as well as those that are non-public and require authentication, like learning management systems.

Content-specific guides

Explore these quick reference accessibility guidelines and other content-specific resources and libraries available through the UC Electronic Accessibility Committee website, such as: 

• Create Accessible PDFs
• Transcripts & Captioning
• eCourse Accessibility Checklist
• Rich Text Editors

Tips for video editors, website developers and others are available in the full article on UCnet:

UC Davis training, Q&As

The Digital Accessibility Program provides guided training sessions for UC Davis staff and faculty. A March 11 session will provide an overview of the new accessibility guidelines as well as the support available from the IT Accessibility Policy Program.

Brad Starkey-Owens, manager of the Digital Accessibility Program, and Margaret Merrill, senior instructional design consultant, hold virtual office hours at 1 p.m. every Wednesday.

Employees may request a training or webinar for their program, college or department by filling out this form.