A year-long, campus-wide digital accessibility initiative is beginning that will strengthen our digital presence and ensure our online spaces are welcoming and accessible to all. This collaborative effort is an opportunity to build on UMW’s leadership in digital innovation and student engagement as we align with new accessibility standards and regulations.
Please be aware of the requirements as training and implementation begin this fall. The scope of this work includes all of our websites and the systems we use daily such as umw.edu and Canvas and includes documents, digital tools and other electronic content. For example, all Word, PowerPoint, PDF and video files shared with students in Canvas or via email, and any other online methods, including our social media posts, must be compliant by the deadline of April 24, 2026.
What are the requirements?
ADA Title II now requires all state and local government entities, including the University of Mary Washington, to ensure their websites and mobile apps meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA by April 24, 2026. The new rule aims to ensure that all people with disabilities have full and equal access to public entities’ services, programs, and activities available on mobile apps and websites.
WCAG is a set of guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) through the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). It provides a set of recommendations and standards to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. Public entities must meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1 Level AA, as ruled in 2024 by the U.S. Department of Justice.
In addition, VA HB 2541, signed into law in 2025, also addresses information and communication technology as it relates to digital accessibility, with updates and organizational changes to the Information Technology Access Act. It also has a deadline of April 24, 2026.
Why is this a priority?
We are proactively working toward achieving and maintaining these federal and state requirements as set in the standards, which will necessitate a campus-wide, coordinated effort across our web-based institutional spaces. Meeting these accessibility standards is about more than compliance—it’s about ensuring every community member and visitor to our website and online services can fully participate in the UMW experience. Accessible websites and materials improve usability for everyone.
What’s in progress?
This work is already underway. We made important strides during the pandemic through digital coursework and the leadership of Digital Learning Support, the Center for Teaching, and the Office of Disability Resources. These teams have helped implement best practices in online content creation.
We’ve also refined our University website templates as part of the recent redesign to better align with WCAG standards. Our new sites are built with accessibility in mind, and we’ll continue replacing outdated templates and offering training to web editors to implement the accessibility standards.
This initiative will be led by the Web Accessibility & VAHB2541 Work Group, chaired by Director of Compliance/Title IX Coordinator/ADA Coordinator Ruth Davison and Chief Information Officer Jonathan Piersol. Key personnel will be invited to support assessment, implementation, and ongoing monitoring.
We’ll be assessing and auditing existing content and any new content going into the spring semester. In limited circumstances, some kinds of web and mobile app content, primarily archived content and old documents, may be exempt. Anything active or newly created must be in compliance.
How do I learn more about next steps and implementation?
We’ll be sharing more opportunities to contribute to the assessment, ask questions, and learn best practices as the fall semester begins. Implementation guidelines and support—including labs and workshops—will be available during professional development days, with a focus on accessibility for documents, websites, audio/video content, and supplemental applications in use and being created for the spring semester.
Updates and information will be shared via the web accessibility website.
We appreciate your attention to this effort and commitment to these requirements for web accessibility.