Faculty and staff at UNMC have been busy ensuring digital materials are accessible. This effort began after a federal deadline was set two years ago. While enforcement has been delayed by a year, UNMC remains committed to meeting the accessibility standards outlined in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 level AA. This is linked to the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II.
UNMC Interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD, expressed gratitude for everyone’s hard work, highlighting the importance of making digital content available to all. She emphasized that this is an ongoing effort: “Now is not the time to let our efforts drop. We are all responsible for making accessibility a priority in our digital information.”
In January, University of Nebraska President Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, approved a policy that covers various digital content, including websites, course materials, presentations, and even mobile apps.
Jane Meza, PhD, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs, noted, “Although the work remains a shared responsibility, we want to explore new ways to optimize our talented faculty and staff’s time.” She mentioned that the upcoming year offers an opportunity to leverage new technologies that streamline accessibility tasks.
For instance, UNMC recently adopted a service called DocAccess. This tool automatically converts PDFs on public websites into accessible HTML. It also provides guidance to content managers with login access. Training sessions for this tool will be offered soon.
As we navigate this shift toward more accessible digital content, it’s worth considering some recent statistics. According to a survey by WebAIM, around 98% of homepages from the top 1 million websites had detectable WCAG 2 failures. This highlights the importance of ongoing efforts in accessibility.
By actively working towards improved accessibility, UNMC not only complies with legal standards but also fosters an inclusive environment for all users. Tools like DocAccess represent significant steps toward making digital resources more user-friendly for everyone.
For more information on ADA Title II Guidance, visit the UNMC website.
