3.3.15 Digital Accessibility Requirements for Faculty

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the U.S. Department of Justice now requires state and local governments, including public universities, to meet digital accessibility standards. That means following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to remove barriers and ensure equal access to online resources and services. The University requires that all digital content meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA, with a preference to meet a higher standard of WCAG 2.2 Level AA whenever possible.

Additional information and guidance is available on the Digital Accessibility at UVA website .

The Digital Accessibility website provides a Faculty/Instructor Intro to Digital Accessibility[ that outlines the faculty role in digital accessibility, including:

• • Providing accessible syllabi, readings, handouts, and class materials (e.g., documents, PowerPoint, PDFs, spreadsheets, videos, audio, images, etc.)
  • Providing accessible content and activities in Canvas (e.g., Pages, Assignments, Discussions)
  • Using learning technologies that are licensed and supported by the University.
  • Considering the accessibility of other digital content, including websites they own or manage, or digital material used in research (e.g., surveys, calls for participation) and publication.

The Digital Accessibility website’s Faculty Learning and Support page provides additional guidance for meeting accessibility standards in the course of a faculty member’s work.