UMass Boston

Digital accessibility means that websites, documents, applications, videos, and other digital resources are designed so that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with them.

Digital accessibility is essential to ensuring equitable access to education, employment, research, university programs, services, and activities. It enables individuals with disabilities to participate fully in university life and also improves usability and access for everyone.

The policy establishes university-wide standards and responsibilities for accessibility and supports compliance with federal and state laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and updated ADA Title II regulations.

UMass Boston has adopted the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA as its minimum technical standard. WCAG is an internationally recognized accessibility standard developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to make websites, mobile applications, and digital content more accessible to people with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Justice has adopted WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard for state and local governments under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Department of Justice's updated ADA Title II regulations establish a compliance date of April 26, 2027.

The policy applies to faculty, staff, student employees, academic and administrative departments, and third parties creating or managing digital content or technologies on behalf of the university.

No. Digital accessibility is a legal requirement for public institutions and is also consistent with UMass Boston's commitment to inclusive excellence.

The Division of Information Technology (IT) is the policy owner and coordinates implementation across the university.

Accessibility is a shared responsibility. Anyone creating, publishing, purchasing, maintaining, or approving digital content has a role in ensuring accessibility.

No. Accessibility is a shared institutional responsibility involving faculty, staff, administrators, procurement personnel, web editors, and technology teams.

Because accessibility must be considered whenever content is created, published, purchased, or maintained.

Course materials, syllabi, presentations, PDFs, handouts, and other instructional resources should conform to accessibility requirements.

Yes.  Instructional videos should include accurate captions.

Yes. Audio-only content must include an accurate transcript that identifies speakers and describes relevant non-speech sounds. Contact Learning Design for assistance.

Images that convey information should include meaningful alternative text.

No. Priority should be given to active courses, courses likely to be reused, and materials with high student impact.

Generally no, unless they remain publicly available or are actively being used.

No. Accessibility is an ongoing process and the university is taking a prioritized and risk-based approach.

Faculty using course materials should make reasonable efforts to ensure they are accessible.

Yes. Faculty should communicate accessibility expectations and ensure instructional materials are accessible.

Yes, provided they contain accurate captions or alternative accommodations can be provided.

Image-only PDFs are generally not accessible and should be remediated or replaced with accessible alternatives, including accessible Word documents on HTML.

Yes.

Yes.

Student work submitted solely for grading generally does not need remediation unless it is shared broadly or used as instructional material.

Canvas is designed to conform to current accessibility standards and includes many built-in accessibility features. However, instructors are responsible for ensuring that the course content they add, including documents, images, videos, and links, is also accessible.

Yes.

Accessibility should be considered before requiring any technology. An exception and alternative access plan may be necessary.

No, students and employees can still request reasonable accommodations and approved accommodations should still be implemented.

Official university websites, departmental sites, subdomains, research sites, and university-associated web properties.

Yes. All social media accounts representing a UMass Boston department or entity are included. Social media accounts used for instructional purposes are also included. 

Captions, alt text, plain language, and sufficient color contrast.

Yes. University-associated websites should include a link to the UMass Boston Accessibility Policy.

Yes.

Yes.

Generally, yes.

Yes, if handbooks and policies are posted to the web or distributed electronically are covered.

Accessibility should be evaluated whenever purchasing, renewing, or licensing digital technologies.

A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a vendor document describing accessibility conformance.

No.

Procurement, IT, and Digital Accessibility personnel may participate in the review.

This should be considered as part of the purchasing decision and risk assessment.

Yes.

Yes.

A temporary solution that provides equivalent access while remediation is underway.

When compliance would result in:

• Fundamental alteration
• Undue burden
• Technical infeasibility

No.

No.

Providing an accessible document, alternate format, or individualized assistance.

UMass Boston strongly encourages all faculty and staff to participate in digital accessibility training. Certain training may be required for individuals whose job responsibilities include creating, publishing, managing, or approving digital content, or who are granted access to systems used to distribute content to students, employees, or the public.

Some roles have direct responsibility for creating or managing digital content that impacts large numbers of users.

In certain cases, completion of role-based training may be a prerequisite for obtaining or maintaining publishing access to designated systems.

No. The purpose of training is to provide knowledge and tools necessary to create inclusive digital experiences.

Examples may include:

• Website content management systems
• Canvas publishing permissions
• Marketing platforms
• Official communication tools

No. The policy does not change job classifications or job descriptions. Accessibility responsibilities are generally part of existing responsibilities for creating and managing digital content.

The university recognizes that accessibility work requires time and effort. Implementation will occur over time and prioritize high-impact content and systems.

No.

No. The university's approach emphasizes education, support, and continuous improvement.

No. Accessibility monitoring is intended to identify barriers and support remediation efforts.

Yes. UMass Boston will provide training, guidance, and support resources to help members of the university community understand and meet their digital accessibility responsibilities. Visit https://www.umb.edu/it/digital-accessibility/ for current resources, training information, implementation guidance, and information about how to request assistance. The site will continue to be updated as additional tools and resources become available.

Yes. The university values shared governance and collective bargaining processes and will continue engaging with employee groups regarding implementation.

No. Nothing in this policy is intended to supersede applicable collective bargaining agreements or established university policies and procedures.

Accessibility is increasingly becoming a standard component of digital content creation and management across higher education and the public sector.

Yes, but AI-generated accessibility features should be reviewed for accuracy.

No.

Yes.

By using university reporting channels or emailing: digitalaccessibility@umb.edu.

Departments will be expected to remediate issues and may receive support and guidance.

Yes.

Prioritize:

• Public-facing websites
• Active course materials
• High-use documents
• Videos without captions
• Critical business systems[JL1] 
• Employment related documents

No. Accessibility is a continuous improvement effort. Employees are encouraged to remediate issues and seek assistance when needed.

To embed accessibility into the design, procurement, creation, and maintenance of digital experiences so accessibility becomes part of normal university operations.

The university recognizes that achieving digital accessibility is a shared institutional responsibility and will continue evaluating tools, training, services, and support mechanisms to assist departments in meeting accessibility requirements.