Meeting ADA Title II Digital Accessibility Requirements
Resources to Support Units with Auditing, Assessing, and Remediating their Digital Content
Resources
The following resources will help you audit and remediate digital content, ensuring they meet the requirements outlined in the updated ADA Title II standards. See below for the recommended tools and resources to assist you with identifying and determining the accessibility of your documents, websites, audio/video content, and supplemental applications:.
Locating media content (i.e., audio, video, and documents) on your websites and course sites
The following resources will assist you with locating the media content (i.e., audio, video, and documents) hosted on your website:
Manual Review - Conduct a page-by-page review of your website to identify any audio files, video files, or documents you link to and/or host on them.
Wordpress - WordPress allows you to export the contents of your website into an *.xml file that you can open in Excel. This will enable to you identify both the location of content hosted on your WordPress site and content you link to from a third-party website. Visit Locating media content on your WordPress site for guidance on how to do this.
DubBot - Similar to WordPress, Dubbot also allows you to export the contents of your website (hosted and third-party) into an Excel spreadsheet. This feature, however, only shows the active content (i.e., publicly available). Content that is not publicly available will not be shown. Visit Find documents, video, and audio components on your website using DubBot for guidance on how to do this.
The following resources will assist you with locating the media content (i.e., audio, video, and documents) hosted in your course site:
Manual Review - Conduct a module-by-module review of your course site to identify any audio files, video files, or documents you link to and/or host on them.
Blackboard (RECOMMENDED) - For instructors still using Blackboard, use the Ally tool to not only identify the documents you have hosted on your course/org site, but also determine if they meet accessibility standards. See Blackboard Ally for Instructors opens a new window for guidance on how to do this.
Canvas (RECOMMENDED) - For instructors transitioning to Canvas, Panorama, like Ally, can assist you with both identifying which documents you have hosted on your course/community site and which meet accessibility standards. See ??? opens a new window for guidance on how to do this.
Evaluating the Accessibility of your Websites
Web accessibility audits involve the use of both automated and manual testing tools. These tools evaluate the level to which your website meets the updated ADA Title II standards (i.e., WCAG 2.1), ensuring access for all users, not just those with disabilities. They also improve your website's search engine optimization (SEO) and make it easier for individuals to access your website using a mobile device.
The automated process includes the use of testing tools that "crawl" your website looking for accessibility issues (e.g., missing alt text, poor hyperlink text, color contrast issues, etc.). These web governance solutions typically provide an initial assessment of your website, highlight any accessibility issues, and pinpoints the location of those issues. Automated scans, however, will only catch issues with your HTML, CSS, and/or javascript code. These issues, while important, are only a part of the overall picture. These tools are UNABLE to test against issues that are more subjective (e.g., the quality of an image's alternative text description). For this reason, it is very important to include manual testing as a part of your auditing plan.
Manual testing is completed using assistive technologies like screen reading applications, screen enlarging software, voice recognition software, and other alternative keyboard and mouse options. Unlike automated tools that scan several pages at a time, manual reviews are conducted one page at a time. This process can more accurately identify how accessibility issues effect the usability of your website (e.g., quality of video captions).
DubBot is a web-governance solution that can assist with determining how accessible your public-facing websites are. Additionally, it enables units to monitor their websites for broken links, spelling errors, and readability, enhancing engagement from members of the George Mason community.
See below for information on how to use this resource:
The ATI recommends the following resources for manually identifying issues on your website(s):
WAVE by WebAIM - WAVE opens a new window is a tool for web developers to help evaluate the accessibility of website within any browser. Simply type in the web address after opening the WAVE web page and press the Enter key. WAVE will provide a summary of the results as well as display findings directly on the webpage through easy-to-read colored icons. WAVE also provides information on the standards tested and how to fix the errors.
ANDI - Like WAVE, ANDI opens a new window is a browser-based tool that helps end users manually evaluate the accessibility of their websites. ANDI splits te accessibility testing process into manageable subtasks, allowing you to focus on specific issues (e.g., color contrast, alternative text descriptions, reading order, etc.).
Check out the resources below for more information on using the WAVE and ANDI tools:
For testing color contrast, the ATI recommends units use either TPGI's free Colour Contrast Analyser (CCA) or WebAIM'sContrast Checker. Both tools will ensure email communications, documents, social media, etc. meet the latest ADA Title II standards governing contrast between foreground text and background colors (i.e., WCAG Success Criterion 1.4.3 opens a new window). Furthermore, they will assist you with ensuring your digital content is optimized for individuals with color-blindness and/or low vision. See below for a video demonstration of both tools on YouTube opens a new window (6:44):
See below for information on how to use these resources:
The following resources will assist you with identifying the documents hosted on your course site:
Microsoft 365: Use the Accessibility Checker in Microsoft 365 to identify any accessibility issues in your Word and/or PowerPoint documents. This tool will not provide an accessibility "score"; it will, however, highlight all of the issues in your document(s).
Acrobat Pro DC: Use the Acrobat Pro DC Accessibility Checker to identify any accessibility issues in your PDF documents. Similar to Microsoft 365, this tool will highlight all of the issues in your document(s). It will not provide an accessibility "score".
Blackboard Ally (RECOMMENDED): Blackboard Ally uses accessibility score icons to indicate if your document meets accessibility standards. Visit Blackboard Basics on the ATI's Blackboard Ally for Instructors opens a new window page for guidance on identifying your document's accessibility score in Blackboard.
Panorama (RECOMMENDED): Panorama, like Blackboard Ally, uses accessibility score icons to indicate if your document meets accessibility standards. Visit Alternative Format Options in Panorama on the ATI's Panorama (by Yuja) opens a new window page for guidance on identifying your document's accessibility score in Canvas.
The following resources will provide guidance on some of the most common accessibility issues in documents:
Missing alternative text descriptions (or alt text) - Alt text provides textual descriptions for images, multimedia, and other types of non-text content. Screen reading applications announce this information to blind and/or low vision users who are unable to see the images or other non-text content in a document. Without this, screen reader users would be unable to interpret visual content. To learn more about alt text, visit What is the purpose of alternative text (section508.gov) opens a new window.
Documents without structure (i.e., headings) - Using structured headings in Word and PDF documents improves navigation for screen reader users and organizes content for easier understanding, supporting individuals with cognitive and/or visual impairments. Proper headings also help readers quickly find information and makes documents more usable on various platforms. They also enhance searchability and allow for better document reflow, making the content accessible to a wider audience. To learn more about use a proper heading structure in your documents, visit Using Headings in Word Documents (WebAIM) opens a new window.
Missing table headers (i.e., headings) - It is important to ensure column and row headers are properly identified in data tables. This aids screen reader users with making associations between the content in data cells and the column and row headers. To learn more about making tables accessible in your Word documents, visit Create accessible tables (Microsoft) opens a new window.
Poor hyperlink text - Hyperlink text provides information on where the user will be taken if they open the link. When hyperlinks are not labeled appropriately, they can be an accessibility barrier for individuals with disabilities, especially those using screen readers. To learn more about creating accessible hyperlinks, visit Create accessible hyperlinks (harvard.edu) opens a new window.
Poor color contrast - Hyperlink text provides information on where the user will be taken if they open the link. When hyperlinks are not labeled appropriately, they can be an accessibility barrier for individuals with disabilities, especially those using screen readers. To learn more about creating accessible hyperlinks, visit Create accessible hyperlinks (harvard.edu) opens a new window.
Using color alone to convey important information - Avoid using color alone to convey important information or prompt a response. This could negatively impact access for individuals with visual impairments (i.e., low vision, colorblindness). To learn more about this topic, visit Use of colo (section508.gov) opens a new window.
Evaluating the Accessibility of your Audio/Video Content
Determining how accessible or inaccessible your audio and/or video content may be is a manual process. Consider these factors when determining if your content is compliant with the updated ADA Title II accessibility standards:
Audio-only content (e.g., podcasts) - Audio-only content like podcasts or mp3 files should include an accurate text transcripts.
Video-only content (e.g., videos with no dialogue) - Video-only content with no dialogue should include either an audio track or a text description providing context for users who cannot see the video.
Captions - All videos with dialogue should include accurate, synchronized captions. Text transcripts are not required but strongly recommended.
Audio Descriptions - All videos with dialogue should include audio descriptions. Audio descriptions provide context for key visual elements in media (i.e., film, course video, theater production, etc.). Please note that it may not be necessary to provide audio descriptions for every video. There are other startegies to ensure visual content is accurately described (e.g., instructors can include description while recording their lectures). Please consult with the ATI Office if you have questions about your specific situation.
To learn more about audio descriptions, check out the video below:
Keyboard Navigable - All audio and video content should be hosted on platforms that can be accessed via keyboard and mouse. Additionally, all form elements (i.e., buttons, labels, etc.) should be accessible to assistive technologies (i.e., screen readers) and easily identified when read aloud.
Right now, there are no specific recommendations for audio-only content platforms. If units have questions or concerns about the accessibility of their audio-only content, please consult the ATI Office.
As for video platforms, the three most commonly used at Mason are Kaltura, YouTube, and Vimeo. At the present date, all these platforms are accessible from the standpoint that they support closed captions, transcripts, separate tracks for audio description, and they can be navigated by individuals using assistive technologies (i.e., keyboard-only access, screen readers). See below for more resources:
The Supplemental Application Decision Tree can assist you with making accessibility-related decisions regarding your supplemental resources. See below for guidance:
