Update on new federal digital accessibility rules effective this spring

Dear Colleagues,

As we have communicated over the past six months, new federal digitalaccessibility requirements take effect on April 24 for public institutions, including the University of Kentucky. Our shared responsibility across the institution is providing an environment — including a digital environment — in which all community members can meaningfully participate.

We recognize, however, that updates to federal regulations can raise understandable questions and concerns, especially around timing, scope and expectations. Our goal is, of course, compliance. But we aim to approach these requirements thoughtfully and with a focus on steady progress.

What this means in practice:

• Prospective focus: These requirements apply to web-based, or “digital," materials available to students, patients or the public on or after April 24.
• Prudent implementation: First, start with prioritizing accessibility for high-impact and widely used digital materials. Second, build accessibility into new materials as they are created. Third, archive or remediate older materials.
• Continuous improvement: Digital accessibility compliance is an ongoing commitment. Progress will continue over time as we build accessibility into our workflows, tools and planning, and it will evolve as technology evolves.

What is required?

A new rule in Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that web-based or “digital” materials meet W3C Web Content AccessibilityGuidelines (WCAG 2.1 AA) by April 24, 2026.

How you make your digital content accessible will vary depending on the type of content. The university has numerous guides available for different types of digital content through its Digital Accessibility Initiative.

What does this apply to?

Digital content available to students, patients or the public on or after April 24, including:

• Websites
• Academic technologies and digital instructional content
• Digital documents shared with students, patients or the larger public like PDFs, presentations, word documents and spreadsheets
• Web-based videos, forms and trainings shared with students, patients or the public
• Emails sent to students, patients or the public
• Mobile applications
• Social media content on institutional accounts (does not apply to social media posts that were posted before April 24)

Where do I start?

1. Learn about the new regulations, guidelines and resources available to you through UK’s Digital Accessibility Initiative.
2. Review your digital content available to students, patients or the public, if applicable.
3. Prioritize that content based on usage and visibility, working your way through accessibility updates using UK’s guidelines.
4. Build accessibility into new materials as they are created.
5. Archive or remediate older materials.
   1. We understand that many units manage large volumes of digital content. It’s important to remove or archive outdated content first and then update materials that remain.
   2. Learn more about archiving here.

How exactly do I create accessible digital content?

Follow the accessibility guidelines for different types of digital content available through UK’s Digital Accessibility Initiative.

While accessibility features vary depending on the type of content and the platform used, some general requirements include:

• Alternative (alt) text for images
• Captioning and transcripts for audio/video
• Color contrast
• Heading hierarchy
• Descriptive link text