Simple Guide for Title II

Beginning April 2027, all higher education institutions must comply with the ADA’s 2024 Web Accessibility Rule, which requires that digital content, including websites, learning management systems, instructional materials, and mobile apps, meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards.

This applies to all faculty‑created digital content, including:

• Course materials in Canvas
• Documents uploaded for students
• Videos, audio, and multimedia
• Departmental webpages
• Apps or tools used in courses

Accessibility is now a legal requirement, not just a best practice.

Key Elements of the New Federal Rule (Title II)

The new Title II changes require institutions to ensure that all digital content is:

• Perceivable: Information must be presented in ways all users can access (e.g., alt text, captions, readable text).
• Operable: Users must be able to fully navigate using a keyboard, assistive technology, or alternative input.
• Understandable: Content must be organized logically with clear headings, labels, and instructions.
• Robust: Content must work with current and future assistive technologies.

The rule specifically highlights:

• Alternative text for images
• Captioning, audio description, and transcripts for multimedia
• Full keyboard navigation
• Logical heading structures
• Color contrast and readability
• Accessible document formatting (PDFs, Word, PowerPoint)
• Accessible mobile and web applications

Key Requirements

• Websites and mobile apps must meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA.
• Electronic documents, such as PDFs, slides, and others, must be accessible, meeting standards for WCAG 2.1, level AA.
• Alternate formats of communications – including braille and reflowed large print – must be made available upon request and in a timely manner.
  • You must retain records of those who request alternative formats of communication and provide them on an ongoing basis.

Website Accessibility Requirements

Faculty who maintain departmental pages or program sites must ensure all content meets WCAG 2.1, level AA.

What the Law Requires

• Images must have meaningful alt text
• Videos must be captioned, have transcripts, and audio description (where necessary)
• Pages must be navigable solely by keyboard
• Headings must follow a logical hierarchy
• Text must meet color contrast standards
• Links must be descriptive (“Download syllabus” instead of “Click here”; do not post full URLs)

Canvas LMS Accessibility

Canvas is part of the institution’s digital ecosystem and must meet the same federal standards. For more detailed assistance with Canvas, contact The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

Use the Canvas Accessibility Checker

• In the Rich Content Editor, click the Accessibility Checker icon.
• Follow prompts to fix headings, alt text, lists, and contrast.

Use UDOIT

• UDOIT runs a full accessibility check on the entire course.
• For assistance using UDOIT:
  • Contact CETL for a one-on-one training session.
  • View the UDOIT User Guide.

Ensure Videos Are Captioned

• All videos must be captioned and have audio description available (if applicable).
• Faculty can use Kaltura to auto-caption videos and provide audio description. For a full how-to on captioning, with images, please refer to the Resources

Structure Pages Clearly

• Use headings
• Break up long text
• Use lists instead of long paragraphs

Check Documents Before Uploading

Documents are one of the most common accessibility barriers on campus. The new law requires documents to be:

• Screen‑reader friendly
• Properly tagged
• Organized with headings
• Free of scanned, image‑only text
• High‑contrast and readable
• Navigable solely by keyboard

To check if your Word documents, PowerPoints, etc., are accessible, you can run the Accessibility Checker. PDFs can be checked by using the Prepare for Accessibility tool in Adobe Acrobat. PDFs must be tagged and readable – scanned images of text are no longer acceptable.

Tips for Making Accessible Documents

• Add alt text
• Check color contrast
  • Use a free checker like WebAIM Contrast Checker
  • Minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio
• Use built‑in heading styles (H1, H2, H3)
  • DO NOT create headings solely by bolding or enlarging text
  • Heading styles can be modified for easy repetitive use
• Make links descriptive
  • Replace “Click here” with “Read the internship requirements”
  • Avoid posting the full URL
• DO NOT use Print to PDF to convert Word documents into PDFs.
  • Use the Save as Adobe PDF option in the file menu.

Detailed instructions for making accessible documents can be found in the Resources section.

Mobile App & Third‑Party Tool Accessibility

Any app or tool used in a course must meet accessibility standards.

• Apps must be usable with screen readers.
• Buttons and controls must be labeled.
• Content must be navigable without a mouse.
• Color contrast must meet WCAG 2.1, level AA standards.
• Vendors must provide an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) or Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT).

Before Adopting a Tool

• Always ask the vendor for a VPAT/ACR.
• Check whether the app works with Apple VoiceOver or Microsoft Narrator.
• Ensure videos and audio within the app are captioned, with audio description (if applicable).
• Avoid tools that rely on drag‑and‑drop without alternatives.
• Contact IT Services or Access and Accommodation Services if unsure.

Any tools/software that will be purchased with university funds for student, faculty, or staff use MUST be approved by A-State ITS first.

To request approval for purchase, staff or faculty must complete the Software Purchase Request form, then follow the appropriate procurement process.

Practical Accessibility Checklist

Here is an example of a simple accessibility checklist you can share in workshops:

Course Content

• All images have alt text
• All videos have captions and audio description (if applicable)
• All audio has transcripts
• Headings follow a logical structure
• Color contrast meets WCAG 2.1, level AA standards
• Links are descriptive
• Used the Accessibility Checker for Word documents, PowerPoints, Excel sheets, etc.
• No scanned image PDFs
• PDFs are tagged and readable

Apps & Tools

• VPAT/ACR reviewed
• Approved by ITS (if purchasing with university funds)
• Screen reader compatibility tested
• Keyboard navigation tested (if applicable)
• No tasks are “drag‑and‑drop” only
• All videos have captions and audio description (if applicable)
• All audio has transcripts

Canvas

• Ran UDOIT and fixed errors
• Accessibility Checker used on each page
• Modules organized clearly
• Third‑party tools reviewed for accessibility
• All documents reviewed for accessibility before upload

Webpages

• All images have alt text
• All videos have captions and audio description (if applicable)
• Headings follow a logical structure
• Color contrast meets WCAG 2.1, level AA standards
• Links are descriptive
• Keyboard navigation tested
• Screen reader compatibility tested

Resources

Explore Access

Explore Access is a web resource of the University of Arkansas – Partners that focuses on increasing the capacity of Arkansas agencies to improve access for people with disabilities. Project staff are available to provide training and technical assistance on topics related to the ADA—physical access, programmatic access and digital access. Their Digital Access Resources page covers many topics such as:

• How to Make Your Presentations and Meetings Accessible to All
• Creating Accessible PowerPoint Presentations
• Creating Accessible Word Documents
• Creating Accessible PDF Documents
• Creating Audio Descriptions

Digital Access Resources from U of A Partners

How to Meet WCAG (Quick Reference)

This tool provides a customizable view of WCAG 2 resources:

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines web standard – 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2
• Techniques for WCAG 2 implementation guidance
• Understanding WCAG 2 supporting information

WCAG 2.1 AA Quick Reference

Understanding WCAG 2.1

WCAG Understanding documents are guides to understanding and implementing WCAG. They provide detailed explanations and include background information and technical details. WCAG Understanding documents are not introductory resources. They are for people who want to understand WCAG more thoroughly.

All WCAG 2.1 Understanding Docs

Captioning in Kaltura

Kaltura is a cloud-based video management system that allows:

• Secure hosting of instructional videos
• Easy embedding in Canvas courses
• Auto-captioning and accessibility features
• Video quizzes with gradebook integration
• Analytics to track student engagement

It is integrated with Canvas and available to all A-State faculty, staff, and students.

Instructions for Captioning in Kaltura

Captioning and Transcription Guides

These are guides put together by A-State’s Office of Access and Accommodation Services to help faculty navigate captioning and transcribing their content. Topics covered include:

• Definitions
• Best practices
• Instructions for captioning in Adobe Premiere Pro and YouTube
• Formatting guidelines

You can also find the full Captioning and Accessibility Operating Procedure here.

View the Captioning and Transcription Guides