By SUSAN JONES

In 2024, the Department of Justice added new requirements to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act that require all publicly funded entities — including colleges and universities — to adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium.

The deadline to comply these new rules is April 24, 2026. This means that every PDF file must be accessible to a screen reader, every video accompanied by captions and audio descriptions, and every sound clip paired with a transcript. 

Other examples of digital accessibility:

• Website, forms, and digital resources must be fully navigable using only a keyboard. Many individuals with disabilities rely on keyboard navigation.

• Images and other visual elements must include alternative text (alt text) to describe the content or provide a substitute when visual elements fail to load.

• Use good color contrast to help those who have color blindness and also those who may be far away from the content.

• Maximize compatibility with all assistive devices and technologies, such as screen magnifiers, screen readers, voice recognition software, or text readers

At Pitt, several groups have been working on digital accessibility issues for the past few years, including the Teaching Center with its Accessibility Training Partners Program (see related story) and Kara Terry, Pitt’s digital accessibility coordinator in the Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing.

Terry took time to answer some questions about the new requirements for the University Times:

Where does Pitt stand in meeting the digital accessibility deadline of April 24, 2026?

The University has made significant progress in accessibility in the past two years since this deadline was announced. Website accessibility has increased, and the number of Pitt faculty and staff who have received accessibility training from the Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing in the first two months of 2026 has already surpassed 70% of the previous two years totals. There is also asynchronous training being mandated in many schools across the University that is not included in this figure. 

This progress has built upon accessibility efforts that began in earnest after the University established the Electronic Information and Technology Accessibility Policy in March 2020. The federal establishment of the April 24th accessibility deadline has increased awareness of accessibility across the University and has renewed focus on accessibility efforts. As new videos, instructional materials, websites and marketing materials are always being created, there is always more work to be done in terms of accessibility.

Are there people specifically tasked with converting websites, PDFs, etc. to comply with the new rules? Is there a centralized group keeping track of where Pitt stands in this process?

Each school, office, department and regional campus is responsible for the accessibility of their own digital material. Each unit is required per Pitt’s Accessibility Policy to submit implementation plans every four years that detail their digital content inventory and the strategies they intend to implement to improve accessibility of that content. 

Each year, annual accessibility reports are collected from each unit as well. These reports offer units a chance to reflect on the progress they have made on their individualized implementation plan. The Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing requests, collects and reviews these plans and reports to track University progress and offer guidance as needed.

Does Pitt have a new digital accessibility policy?

The University’s Electronic Information and Technology Accessibility Policy was written specifically to evolve with updating accessibility standards. Pitt’s policy, at its publication in 2020, already required the same Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (v2.1 Level AA) that the update to Title II of the ADA has now made into federal law. As updated versions of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines have been released, Pitt’s policy now requires the most recent version, WCAG 2.2 AA, as the technical standard for all of our digital content.

Are there resources/information available for those in charge of various websites across campus to make changes on their own?

When website editors receive Drupal training from University Communications and Marketing, accessibility practices are included. Additionally, the Accessible Content Design Hub on the Pitt Wellbeing website offers guidance for many digital content formats and step-by-step tutorials on how to apply accessibility principles for each. Employees looking to learn more about accessibility can browse accessibility training options offered by the Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing. Faculty and Staff Development Program courses on accessibility are offered each semester and the Digital Accessibility Coordinator can also host custom trainings for units that request it.

What advice do you have for someone who maintains a website? What are the basics that the need to do to meet these new standards?

The Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing offers various tools for improving and maintaining accessibility. After learning about digital accessibility through training, these tools can ease the process of finding and fixing accessibility errors in large content libraries. The best way to stay up to date on digital accessibility is to join the Accessibility Advocates Across Pitt. This group meets quarterly to discuss updates, challenges, and strategies in the world of making digital material at Pitt accessible to everyone. Group members can also utilize the network of people to share knowledge, resolve recurring problems, and answer questions more easily.

Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.

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