As your department or program begins your work with digital accessibility, we would recommend the following:
- Become familiar with accessibility guidelines. Ensure compliance with relevant laws and standards, such as and the . These standards cover various aspects of digital accessibility, including websites, apps, course materials, and more.
- Conduct an accessibility audit. Begin by auditing your website, learning management content/course materials, digital resources, third-party digital tools, apps, and multimedia content. This will help you to identify areas that need improvement. These tools can help:
- Website accessibility reports
- UDOIT course accessibility reports
- Prioritize high-impact areas. Work with ODA to design a process that works best for your unit or department. As a general rule, we recommend focusing initial efforts on content with the highest engagement, such as course materials, main websites, and frequently used applications. Contact us today to set up your initial consultation. If your team would prefer to work independently, we recommend using the .
- Implement best practices.
- Websites: Use website accessibility reports from Web & Digital Strategy to address any accessibility issues in the website itself or in linked materials.
- Course materials: Use UDOIT course accessibility reports in Canvas to address any accessibility issues in course content. Reach out to the Center for Online Learning, Research and Service if you would like help starting this process.
- Third-party software/apps: Ensure that any third-party tools have passed both a FERPA review and an accessibility review as part of the purchasing process. If they have not passed both of these by Fall 2025, contact the Office of Digital Accessibility to initiate this process.
- Participate in training.
- Join the Office of Digital Accessibility for an upcoming workshop.
- If your department would like to arrange a training/workshop for your team, please contact ODA.
- Consider taking an accessibility course from ION Professional eLearning Programs: Creating Accessible Documents, Creating Accessible Documents for Businesses and Agencies, Creating Accessible Videos, Creating Accessible Videos for Businesses and Agencies, Foundations of Accessibility for Educators, Legal Landscape of Digital Accessibility, and Universal Design Principles for Online Learning.
- Read ODA's most recent newsletter for current news and events related to digital accessibility.
- Monitor and update regularly. Regularly review and update your digital accessibility practices to ensure ongoing compliance and improvement.
The Office of Digital Accessibility will be reaching out to departments and programs to arrange participation in digital accessibility sprints.