Digital accessibility ensures everyone can use online content, tools, and technologies. Accessible content is necessary for some users with disabilities, but it benefits everyone by making content and learning materials more usable and flexible. 

We're a small team within Academic Innovation dedicated to researching digital accessibility laws and best practices, implementation, and user experiences. We're here to guide faculty, staff, and students on a journey to create accessible content. 

Accessibility can be challenging to implement, but we aim to help you see its broader value and impact. It doesn't matter where you start; any step you take toward making content accessible makes a difference and benefits everyone.  

Think of us as your partners in this process—we're here to show you how accessible design can enhance learning experiences for all students. 

We provide numerous services to help guide you in creating accessible content. Please email us at [email protected] with any questions you may have! Some of our services include:  

• Workshops and Training for faculty, staff, and students throughout the semester. You can access our current training through MyTraining or email us to request a customized small group or department accessibility workshop.
• Consultations and Remediation Walk-throughs on single accessibility topics or issues.
• Accommodation Guidance in Partnership with Student Disability Services on how to apply accommodations in the digital environment.
• Course Evaluations for up to 3 modules or sections of your course. (Provided after you have made a good-faith effort to remediate your content.)
• Captioning Services for course videos through a third-party professional captioning service at no cost to you. Email us to get started!
• Document Reviews for guidance and feedback on document remediation. 

Relevant Laws 

Numerous laws and statutes inform and impact UTSA digital accessibility at the federal, state, and university system levels. Review UTSA Handbook of Operations: 11.10 Web and Digital Accessibility Compliance for Related Statutes, Policies, Requirements or Standards. 

ADA Title II and WCAG Compliance 

In alignment with the April 2024 ADA Title II rule, public-facing web content and digital materials—including those within our learning management system (LMS)—are required to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards. This ruling emphasizes the importance of creating and utilizing accessible online content for students, faculty, staff, and the community at large. 

Lawsuits and Settlements 

Lawsuits against universities also help inform how to apply digital accessibility in our environment. The University of Minnesota Duluth tracks information on major Higher Ed Accessibility Lawsuits, Complaints, and Settlements. Please be aware that the lawsuits presented do not encompass all college and university accessibility lawsuits.  

If students, colleagues, other staff, or the public interact with it, it should be accessible, including but not limited to: 

• All course materials 
• Video and audio created and curated for use 
• Websites and tools in the LMS 
• Emails, social media content, and digital communications 

Start small and focus on these key steps: 

1. Choose accessible templates for course materials. 
2. Use built-in accessibility checkers. 
3. Convert accessible source files to PDF correctly. 
4. Ensure videos have accurate captions. 
5. Provide alternative ways to engage with all content. 

We collaborate with Student Disability Services  (SDS)  to provide guidance on  implementing accommodations for users engaging with digital content. Email SDS at [email protected] and our team at [email protected] for content-specific or course-specific guidance.

The following resources are readily available:

• SDS: Digital Learning Instructor FAQ
• SDS: Faculty and Staff Resource Guide
• SDS: Students with Disabilities in Online Courses
• Accommodation Guides for Canvas
• Captioning Support Services