The University of Arkansas is committed to creating welcoming spaces, services and experiences that are accessible for everyone. Accessibility is not an afterthought but an integral part of intuitive and universal design that removes barriers before they arise.

As a state-funded university and public entity, the University of Arkansas is impacted by the U.S. Department of Justice's April 24, 2024, rule, updating its regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The final rule has specific requirements to ensure that web content and mobile applications are accessible to people with disabilities.

These updated regulations impact faculty and staff at the U of A who create or interact with digital content including online course material, documents, emails, websites, and digital forms.

These types of digital content must meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards. The new Title II rule puts an increased emphasis on the WCAG standards that include the following four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable and robust.

The Get Started page on the university's accessibility website will continue to grow and evolve with the latest information about the Title II regulations that must be met by faculty and staff. The page will also offer relevant information such as trainings and workshops that will aid in compliance.

There are many actions faculty and staff can take to improve digital accessibility, including:    

• ensuring documents are accessible
• evaluating the accessibility of third-party software  
• using high contrast colors  
• ensuring all images have alt text
• Using semantic formatting (formatting that has meaning) rather than formatting that is purely visual. For example, in the Blackboard text editor, use the "Header" text style to distinguish headings from paragraph text, rather than just changing the font size.

See the Accessibility Quick Start page on TIPS to learn more about how to address these issues and more.

Faculty and staff at the U of A are required to abide by the new rule and its requirements by the April 24, 2026, compliance date.

The university's IT HOG (Hindrances, Opportunities, and Guidance) Team, made up of campus IT partners, has been tasked with raising awareness, improving understanding and implementing training for faculty and staff that ensure digital accessibility and compliance with Title II of the ADA.

The IT HOG Team's primary goal is to educate campus stakeholders - specifically university faculty and staff - on digital accessibility and legal obligations under Title II.

As the compliance date comes closer into view, the IT HOG Team will continue to communicate with campus about specific regulations required by the Title II rule. In the meantime, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the regulations and adjust their practices if necessary to meet these requirements.