U of A Keeps Accessibility at Forefront as Title II Compliance Date Shifts

The U of A is committed to delivering services and experiences that are accessible for everyone.

As a state-funded university and public entity, the U of A 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). This past weekend, however, the Justice Department adjusted the compliance date by delaying it one year, from April 24, 2026, to April 26, 2027.

This update adds clarity and some additional requirements to Title II; however, this law, in addition to Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, already makes it clear that public universities are required to make digital content accessible. The compliance date for Section 504 is May 11, 2026. For more information see University Policy 204.2.

The university has taken significant steps to ensure that it meets the updated requirements under Title II. Last summer, the U of A established its Accessibility IT HOG Team, which was tasked with educating campus stakeholders — specifically university faculty and staff — on digital accessibility and legal obligations under Title II. Collaborative work across the campus has been underway in preparation to meet Title II expectations.

Key Accomplishments

• Accessibility Fundamentals introductory course in Workday.

• Thirteen virtual workshops in March and April focused on various facets of digital accessibility. These workshops were recorded and are available for viewing on the university's Accessibility website.

• Five Arkansas News articles explaining the rule change and promoting training opportunities, including an article detailing the efforts of the university's four IT HOG Teams formed in 2025.

• Knowledge-base articles addressing elements of digital accessibility:
  • Document structure and organization
  • Graphs, charts and images
  • Color and contrast
  • Typography
  • Links
  • ​​Lists

• Additional accessibility resources and information added to TIPS, including a Quick Start page.

• Planning, promoting and participating in "Fix Your Content Day," a hands-on opportunity for faculty to enhance the accessibility of their Blackboard course materials. The U of A finished "Fix Your Content Day" by scoring 65 out of 120 participating institutions and remediating 1,117 digital accessibility issues.

• More than 50 academic department Title II training sessions focused on academic content in Blackboard (our Learning Management System) resulting in measurable gains in digital accessibility.

• Individual faculty work sessions with campus digital accessibility experts provided to assist faculty in designing Title II compliant course materials.

• Repeated mentions of the rule change in email newsletters, targeted emails to staff supervisors across campus.

The university is dedicated to maintaining the momentum of the past year. The Accessibility website continues to expand to include additional information, event listings and a repository of recordings from past training sessions. The campus community is encouraged to explore this resource.

As faculty and staff continue to work on making content accessible, they can join the Digital Inclusivity and Accessibility Community of Practice, which is regularly updated with micro-learning opportunities and is a great spot for additional discussion, questions and assistance.