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Digital Accessibility

Understanding Digital Accessibility at the College of Design

Digital accessibility ensures that all students, faculty, staff, and external audiences can access and use digital content regardless of ability. Iowa State University is committed to creating a digital environment where people can participate fully in teaching, learning, research, and public communication. This work is required under the updated Title II ADA regulations from the U.S. Department of Justice, which set enforceable standards for accessible websites, documents, mobile apps, and course materials.

Public universities must comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at the AA Level by April 24, 2026. This means reviewing and improving digital content so that everyone can reach essential information and academic resources.

Key compliance dates:

Iowa State University must comply with both university policy and federal regulations regarding accessibility:

  • January 2, 2026: All new digital university content must be accessible.
  • April 24, 2026: All public-facing web content, apps, and digital assets must meet U.S. Department of Justice accessibility requirements.
  • Ongoing: Public-facing content must meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards and contain no serious automated testing errors.
    Understanding and planning for these deadlines ensures compliance and reduces last-minute remediation.

Digital Content Required to Meet Accessibility Standards

The scope of “Websites” under the rule includes all digital content hosted on or affiliated with ISU, such as:

  • All .iastate.edu domains and subdomains
  • Faculty research and/or teaching sites
  • Student organization websites
  • Any site affiliated with ISU, such as athletics, the bookstore, or extension programs 

Even if a site is not centrally hosted or maintained by ITS, it still falls under the compliance requirement if it is affiliated with ISU.

Guidance:

If you oversee a website that fits into any of these categories, please reach out to Nicole Hurlburt at nicolerh@iastate.edu for guidance.

 

The scope of “Software & Applications” under the rule includes any software or applications used for ISU operations, including:

  • All software used by ISU, whether developed internally or acquired from third-party vendors
  • Mobile applications, including ISU-developed apps (e.g., MyState, ISU Portal) and third-party apps (e.g., ParkMobile, Canvas, Workday)
  • Desktop, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), and cloud-based tools, such as GitHub, ChatGPT Plus, and other platforms used for work or coursework
  • Free and paid software, regardless of licensing model or number of users
  • Any software required to complete job duties or coursework, including tools used in research, instruction, administration, or student services
  • Software not listed in Software Center or Self-Service, but still in use by departments or units

Guidance:

If you utilize any software or applications that fall under this category, please email Michael Miller at mcmiller@iastate.edu.

The scope of “Social Media” under the rule includes all officially managed ISU accounts, such as:

  • All official ISU-managed social media accounts, regardless of platform (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Vimeo, Bluesky)
  • Content posted by departments, colleges, units, or programs that represent ISU in any official capacity
  • Content posted by student orgs that represent ISU in any official capacity
  • Posts containing text, images, videos, stories, infographics, or live streams
  • Accounts used for outreach, marketing, recruitment, or public engagement, including athletics, student services, and research centers

Accessibility requirements:

  • Accessibility features must be used on each platform (e.g., alt text, captions, accessible hashtags, color contrast)
  • There is no requirement to remediate past posts unless a specific request is made for accessibility
  • All new content posted after April 24, 2026, must be accessible, and units must be prepared to respond to complaints or requests for accommodation 

Guidance:

If you oversee a social media account with this information, please reach out to Nicole Hurlburt at nicolerh@iastate.edu to make sure it is included in the college’s social media inventory list.

The scope of “Professional Development & Training” under the rule includes all training and learning content created or used by ISU units, including:

  • All online professional development and training materials created or managed by ISU units, including those hosted in platforms like Canvas, Workday Learning, or other LMS systems 
  • Courses, modules, and learning content used for onboarding, compliance, continuing education, or skill development for faculty, staff, and students
  • Training content developed internally or by third-party vendors, whether free or paid
  • Materials required for job duties or professional certification, including tutorials, recorded webinars, and interactive learning tools
  • Any training content shared with the general public, the ISU community, or large internal audiences

All content must:

  • Meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, including videos, documents, quizzes, and embedded tools 
  • Be accessible by April 24, 2026, and units must be prepared to remediate or replace inaccessible materials
  • Be documented with the platform, owner, audience, and access model (free or fee-based)

Guidance:

Even if a training course is not part of the Registrar’s system or is hosted outside of central platforms, it still falls under the compliance requirement if it is used for professional development or required learning at ISU. If you conduct any professional development or training, please contact Michael Miller at mcmiller@iastate.edu to ensure it is included in the college’s inventory list.

 

The scope of “Shared Digital Documents” under the rule includes digital documents shared publicly or with large internal audiences, such as:

  • All digital documents created or managed by ISU units that are shared with the general public, the majority of a department, or large-scale audiences within the ISU community 
  • Documents posted to websites, shared via email, or stored in platforms like OneDrive, CyBox, or SharePoint, including PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, Excel files, and CSVs 
  • Documents used for onboarding, HR, academic advising, policy communication, or public information
  • Any document required to complete coursework, job duties, or professional development
  • Documents that are part of official communications, such as newsletters, reports, or public-facing resources

Accessibility requirements:

  • All documents must meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, including proper use of headings, alt text, reading order, and accessible formats 
  • Documents must be remediated or replaced if they are not accessible, and units must be prepared to respond to accessibility complaints or requests
  • Must be documented with file type, location, audience, and primary manager

Guidance:

Even if a document is not published on a website, it still falls under the compliance requirement if it is shared broadly or used in official university functions. To ensure we maintain documentation of all digital documents that are shared electronically, whether internal or external, please upload a list in the Digital Asset Inventory Links section below.

The scope of “Shared Digital Media” under the rule includes multimedia content shared internally or externally, such as:

  • All digital media created or managed by ISU units that are shared with the general public, the majority of a department, or large-scale audiences within the ISU community 
  • Media posted to websites, shared via email, or stored in platforms like OneDrive, CyBox, or SharePoint, including videos, podcasts, audio recordings, and other multimedia formats (e.g., .mp4, .mov, .webm)
  • Media used for onboarding, training, marketing, public information, or instructional purposes
  • Any media required to complete coursework, job duties, or professional development
  • Media that is not part of social media platforms, but is distributed through internal or public-facing channels

Accessibility requirements:

  • All media must meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, including closed captions, audio descriptions, and accessible players 
  • Media must be remediated or replaced if it is not accessible, and units must be prepared to respond to accessibility complaints or requests
  • Must be documented with media type, location, audience, and accessibility features such as captions and audio descriptions

Guidance:

Even if a video or podcast is not published on a public website, it still falls under the compliance requirement if it is shared broadly or used in official university functions. To ensure we maintain documentation of all shared media, whether internal or external, please upload a list in the Digital Asset Inventory Links section below.

The scope of “Communications & Marketing” under the rule includes digital communications used for ISU outreach, including:

  • All digital communications and marketing materials created or distributed by ISU units, including email newsletters, digital advertising, online promotions, and announcements 
  • Content shared with internal or external audiences, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, prospective students, and the public
  • Formats such as text, images, videos, infographics, and interactive media, whether embedded in emails, websites, or third-party platforms
  • Materials used for recruitment, public relations, event promotion, or institutional branding
  • Any communication that is part of official university messaging, regardless of whether it is recurring (e.g., monthly newsletters) or one-time (e.g., event invitations)

Accessibility requirements:

  • All content must meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, including accessible formatting, alt text, color contrast, and compatibility with assistive technology
  • Communications must be remediated or redesigned if they are not accessible, and units must be prepared to respond to accessibility complaints or requests
  • Must be documented with type, audience, content format, primary manager, and whether a management platform is used (e.g., Constant Contact) 

Guidance:

Even if a communication is sent through a third-party platform or is not posted publicly, it still falls under the compliance requirement if it represents official ISU messaging or outreach. To ensure we maintain documentation of all communications and marketing, whether internal or external, please upload a list in the Digital Asset Inventory Links section below.

Responsibilities for Ensuring Digital Accessibility

Campus-wide accessibility efforts require each department and unit to complete the following tasks:

  1. Inventory all digital assets: All faculty and staff are responsible for creating and maintaining an inventory of their digital assets. This includes compiling a list of all websites, Canvas content, third‑party tools, shared files, videos, and other digital materials they create, manage, or use.
  2. Prioritize remediation based on usage and impact: Faculty and staff should prioritize remediation of their digital assets by addressing digital materials according to their level of usage and impact.
    1. Critical: High-use, high-impact materials essential to student or employee success. Remediate within 3–6 months.
    2. High: Public-facing or widely used resources with potential reputational impact. Remediate within 5–6 months.
    3. Moderate: Medium‑visibility content with lower overall traffic. Remediate within 12–18 months.
    4. Low: Nonessential or informational-only resources.
  3. Remediate digital assets: Faculty and staff should remediate their digital assets by reviewing each item in their inventory, identifying accessibility issues, and updating the content to meet WCAG 2.1 guidelines, which may include adding alt text, correcting document structure, improving color contrast, updating captions or transcripts, replacing inaccessible files, and removing or archiving materials that cannot be brought into compliance.
  4. Develop a long-term sustainment plan: Departments should develop a long‑term sustainment plan by establishing ongoing processes to review new and existing digital content, setting expectations for accessibility in daily workflows and assigning responsibility for monitoring compliance so that accessibility is maintained and future issues are prevented.

A CyBox folder is available for each department and unit to help compile and maintain a shared database of digital assets. Departments can use this space to document their materials, or they may choose to set up their own system for tracking digital assets. It is important that each department has a reliable way to keep track of all digital content. Keeping this database up to date makes it easier to monitor accessibility and helps demonstrate a good‑faith effort toward meeting digital accessibility requirements.

Need Access to Your CyBox Folder?
If your department or unit does not have a CyBox folder, or if you cannot access it, email Nicole Hurlburt at nicolerh@iastate.edu.

Digital Asset Inventory Links

University Resources

Self-paced digital accessibility training for ISU employees is available via Workday Learning. Information on accessing the training can be found in our Accessing Digital Accessibility Training in Workday Learning Knowledge Base Article.

  • Anthology Ally: Anthology Ally is integrated directly into Canvas at Iowa State University. It helps instructors improve the accessibility of course content and provides alternative formats for students. Ally automatically scans content uploaded to Canvas and offers real-time feedback and accessibility scores to support accessible learning environments.
  • Creating Accessible Courses in Canvas: Find practical step-by-step guidance in our Knowledge Base Articles (KBAs) on creating accessible course materials in Canvas and using the Anthology Ally course accessibility tool.
  • TidyUP in Canvas: A tool that makes it easy to identify and remove unused, duplicate, and outdated content and files in Canvas.

If you have developed or currently use a resource that you believe would be valuable to share, please send it to Nicole Hurlburt at nicolerh@iastate.edu so it can be added.