ADA Title II

Using official website templates

Our Web Services team is collaborating with the Digital Accessibility Officer (DAO) to update the university's official website templates. These updates will address recurring accessibility issues and help ensure our sites meet current legal standards under Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level A and AA guidelines.

What web maintainers need to do

Web Services, in coordination with the DAO, is supporting web maintainers by:

• Demonstrating how to use the Siteimprove dashboard, a tool that identifies accessibility issues.
• Offering direct assistance or consultation when requested.

All web maintainers should begin using the Accessibility Guidelines to create inclusive content. This includes:

• Fixing spelling errors and broken links to ensure access to information
• Using descriptive alternative text (alt text) for images
• Using proper headings
• Using lists for grouped information
• Ensuring links are clear and descriptive
• Ensuring colors contrast well
• Making documents accessible or converting them to web pages*
• Making audio and video content accessible

* PDF documents are not ADA-compliant. Our plan is to remove what we no longer need, convert what we can to web pages, and make the remaining documents as accessible as possible. More guidance is available on our Accessible PDFs site.

Third-party websites and vendor responsibilities

Third-party hosted websites (those designed or maintained by vendors or external providers on behalf of the university) are also subject to ADA Title II. If a vendor cannot meet accessibility requirements, we will work with you to:

• Move the content into our official templates and content management system.
• Assign a university web maintainer to help bring the site into compliance.

Plugins and embedded tools (e.g., forms, surveys) must also be accessible. Before acquiring plugins or embedded tools, please review them for accessibility. See our guidance for IT buyers for more details.

We use several major social media platforms to share information with the public. While we are not responsible for the accessibility of the platforms themselves (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn), we are responsible for ensuring that the content we post is accessible to everyone.

What social media maintainers need to do

Starting now, all social media maintainers should begin using the Accessible Social Media Guidelines to create inclusive content. This includes:

• Adding alt text to images so screen readers can describe them
• Using captions for all videos
• Ensuring readable color contrast in graphics and text
• Avoiding flashing or fast-moving content that may trigger seizures or be difficult to process

These practices help ensure that our posts are usable by people with disabilities and meet legal standards.

By April 24, 2026, all university social media content must comply with ADA Title II requirements. Building good habits now will make the transition smoother and help us better serve our entire community.

Identifying maintainers and platforms

To ensure full compliance, we need to:

• Identify all social media platforms used for university business
• Document who maintains each account
• Ensure all maintainers receive training and are using accessibility standards

If you manage or contribute to a university-affiliated social media account, please notify the Marketing and Communications. We will work with you to ensure your content meets accessibility standards and provide support as needed.

Educating the public is our top priority, and that includes making sure all students can access the digital materials they need to succeed.

That is why online course content must meet accessibility standards under ADA Title II. The requirements for course materials are simpler than those for websites, but they are just as important.

To help with this, we use Anthology Ally in Canvas. It scans course content and gives guidance on how to fix accessibility issues. We also provide support for eight core accessibility practices that make your materials easier for all students to use.

Any third party that designs, develops, provides, or maintains digital resources for university business must follow our accessibility standards. These requirements should be clearly included in all contracts and RFPs.

All vendors need to know that their digital products must meet the WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards by April 24, 2026. This includes websites, web applications, mobile apps, and electronic documents.

To help vendors understand what is expected, we have created an IT Accessibility Vendor Toolkit. It includes:

• A list of digital resources that must be accessible
• Our technical standards for both web and non-web content
• Instructions for completing accessibility documentation
• And more helpful guidance

If vendors have questions, this toolkit is a great starting point, and our Digital Accessibility Office is available to support them.

Clean up your site to improve accessibility and reduce the amount of content you must make accessible:

1. Review your site and remove outdated or unnecessary content.
2. Identify content that must be retained due to university record retention policies.
3. Move archivable content into an "archive" folder and clearly label it for visitors.
4. Convert documents into accessible web pages when possible.
5. Contact IT for help with complex items like electronic forms.

Eating an elephant requires going after it one piece at a time. Begin with the easier tasks:

1. Fix spelling and broken links
2. Fix headings and lists
3. Check or add alternative text on images
4. Remove formatting pasted content and apply built-in or custom styles
5. Check color contrast on text over images and text on background colors

With the basics down, it is time to build on them. Think of this step as putting all the pieces together:

• Documents (word processor documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDFs)
• Multimedia (videos and audio)
• Social media (blogs, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X)

View the Digital Accessibility calendar for upcoming training opportunities.

• TrainTraq Courses: These courses introduce practical steps to make your content more accessible.
  • 2114184: 7 Steps to a Better Website - TAMUCC
  • 2114412: 7 Steps to a Better Document- TAMUCC
• Level Access Academy: Explore micro-courses and recorded webinars on a wide range of accessibility topics.
  • Need access? Contact the Digital Accessibility Officer to get started.

Visit the IT Accessibility site for up-to-date accessibility standards and best practices:

• Accessibility Guidelines
  • Accessible Electronic Documents
  • Accessible PDFs
  • Accessible Social Media Guidelines
  • Captioning Services Guidelines
• Accessible Online Course Content
• IT Accessibility Vendor Toolkit

Need personalized support? Reach out to the Digital Accessibility Officer for one-on-one guidance, group training, or help with specific accessibility challenges.

See fact sheet, full text, and discussion of rulemaking.

System Regulation 29.01.04, Accessibility of Digital Resources [PDF]