Digital accessibility updates ensure OHIO remains in compliance

Recent changes approved by the Department of Justice have tightened compliance in Web Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) at the federal level, leading to heightened digital accessibility policies and practices across our institution in both recent and coming months.

The new rule approved by the Department of Justice adopts WGAC Version 2.1 Level AA as the level of conformance required for a baseline of digital accessibility to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The rule specifies that the services, programs, and activities offered by state and local government entities to the public via web content and mobile apps are accessible to individuals with disabilities (p. 34). This applies to all web content and mobile apps that a public entity provides or makes available either “directly or through contractual, licensing, or other arrangements.”

To ensure our continued compliance with the ADA under Title II, Ohio University has recently passed a new Web CMS User Policy in alignment with this new ruling.

Officially approved in March 2024, this new University Policy outlines that ohio.edu website editors follow best practices — a high priority, considering the public-facing nature of websites and how easily they can be changed by those with access to the content management system.

Some items of note in the Web CMS User Policy include making sure content is updated regularly to ensure content accuracy, that brand standards are followed and that digital accessibility laws are followed.

A significant portion of adhering to digital accessibility laws entails updating inaccessible documents that are linked to from the website — converting them either to native webpages or officially remediated documents through a third-party vendor. This will ensure the ohio.edu website is adhering to legal ADA requirements.

University Communications and Marketing has shared a timeline with web editors and the Digital Accessibility Network multiple times this calendar year to move this work forward. It has also been presented to President’s Cabinet.

1. Starting May 1, 2024: any new document (including PDF, Excel, Word docs, etc.) must be remediated before it can be posted on the ohio.edu website. 
2. By Oct. 1, 2024: All existing documents on the ohio.edu site must be reviewed and a decision for action made.
3. By May 1, 2025: All files linked from the ohio.edu website must be remediated files.

Efforts leading up to this work have increased over the previous months, in conversations with website editors and subject matter experts. There is already a significant amount of collective work happening across the institution to ensure these deadlines are met and that the ohio.edu website continually improves and is usable for all users. One of these efforts includes the third annual PDF Purge project, currently under way and led by the digital accessibility staff in OIT and supported by the UCM Web Team.

For more information about the Web CMS User Policy and website:

• Web CMS User Policy
• Managing Documents on ohio.edu
• Accessible Documents
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

For questions about your website and accessible documents, please contact webcontent@ohio.edu.