What Is Digital Accessibility?

Digital accessibility means designing websites, documents, emails, and online content so that everyone can use them, including people with disabilities. This includes people who:

• Use screen readers
• Navigate by keyboard instead of a mouse
• Have low vision or color blindness
• Are deaf or hard of hearing
• Have mobility or cognitive disabilities

Accessibility ensures that all members of our community can access information, complete tasks, and fully participate online.

Why Accessibility Matters

Accessibility is:

• Inclusive. It ensures equal access to information and services.
• Required. Colleges and universities are required to provide accessible digital content under federal law.
• Better for Everyone. Accessible content is:
  • Easier to read
  • Easier to navigate
  • Clearer and more organized
  • More mobile-friendly

When content is accessible, it improves the experience for all users.

Basic Accessibility Checklist

Below are 10 Accessibility Rules for content to ensure your webpages, PDFs, emails, and digital flyers are fully compliant.

1. Use live text, not images of text
   Skip the image-only flyers. Instead, ensure all details are written out as live text on your webpage to remain accessible.
2. Use headings to organize content
   Use built-in heading styles (like H1, H2, H3) rather than simply bolding text. Proper heading tags create a logical outline that allows screen reader users to navigate your page.
3. Create descriptive, meaningful link text
   Instead of vague phrases like “click here” or “read more,” use text that clearly explains the destination or action, such as “Apply for Scholarships.” This allows screen reader users to understand the link’s purpose out of context and ensures everyone knows exactly what will happen when they click.
4. Add meaningful alt text for images
   Avoid generic filenames and instead provide a brief description that explains the image’s specific purpose or the message it is intended to convey. If an image is purely ornamental and adds no meaningful information to the page, you should leave the descriptive field blank. This designates the image as decorative, allowing screen readers to skip it and ensuring a more efficient experience for your users.
5. Write clearly and keep content simple
   Write in plain language with short paragraphs and lists to make your content easy to scan. By avoiding technical lingo and complex sentences, you ensure your message is accessible to everyone, including non-native speakers and people with cognitive disabilities. For lists, use bullet/number tools; don’t type dashes manually.
6. Make PDFs and documents accessible
   Avoid “scanned” image-only PDFs, which are invisible to screen readers and impossible to search. Instead, export documents from sources like Word or InDesign as tagged PDFs to preserve a logical reading order, headings, and digital text. Learn how to create accessible PDFs.
7. Provide accurate captions and transcripts for video content
   All videos, recorded and live, featuring speech must include synchronized captions to assist users who are deaf or hard of hearing. For longer media, providing a full text transcript is recommended to improve navigation and allow users to consume the content at their own pace. Learn how to create accessible videos.
8. Ensure forms are fully keyboard-navigable
   Design forms so that every field, checkbox, and button can be reached and activated using only the “Tab” and “Enter” keys. Each input must also have a clear, programmatically linked label so users—especially those with motor disabilities or visual impairments—can navigate without a mouse. Learn how to create accessible forms.
9. Maintain high color contrast for readability
   Ensure there is a strong visual distinction between text (or buttons) and their background. Using high-contrast color combinations ensures your content remains legible for individuals with low vision, color blindness, or those viewing screens in bright sunlight. Always use our approved, accessible brand colors for maximum readability.
10. Don’t rely on color alone
    Never rely exclusively on color to convey meaning or instructions. Instead, pair color with a secondary indicator—like text labels, icons, or patterns—to ensure the information is clear to users who are colorblind or have low vision. For example, if a field is required, use an asterisk instead of signaling the requirement by color alone (such as red): Required*

What Content Needs to Conform with WCAG Guidelines?

The scope of content that needs to conform to WCAG guidelines ultimately depends on your organization’s legal obligations (e.g., organization type, funding and contracts, geographic location, etc.), but here are the general categories:

Always required:

• Main website pages, including homepages, product/service pages, and contact information.
• Online applications and forms, like registration, checkout, and contract forms.
• Mobile applications that provide the same services as your website.
• Customer-facing portals, such as account dashboards or self-service tools.
• Digital documents linked from your website (PDFs, Word documents, spreadsheets, PowerPoints, etc.)

Usually required:

• Employee-facing systems and intranets as required by employment accessibility laws.
• Marketing emails and digital communications.
• Social media control you control/post directly.
• Video and audio content that requires captions, transcripts, or audio descriptions.
• Third-party integrations, such as chatbots, payment systems, or other embedded content.

May be exempt or have modified requirements:

• Archived content that’s no longer updated (courts typically allow reasonable timelines surrounding this type of content).
• Pre-existing documents; however, these may require accessible alternatives rather than full remediation.
• Live streaming content has different requirements than pre-recorded content.
• The bottom line: If users need content to access your goods, services, or employment opportunities, it likely needs to be accessible. Best practice is to err on the side of accessibility and inclusion rather than exclusion.

Reference: AudioEye. (2026). WCAG: The international standard for compliance. Digital accessibility and compliance laws. https://www.audioeye.com/courses/digital-accessibility-and-compliance-laws/chapter-2/

Digital Accessibility Skill-Building