Digital Accessibility
Make your digital content more accessible to all users and scenarios.
Digital accessibility is the inclusive practice of removing barriers that prevent access to websites and other digitally shared content by people of diverse abilities. The University of Texas at Dallas is committed to maintaining an accessible website.
UT Dallas must comply with Texas Administrative Code Rule §206.70 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. All webpages containing official University information that are built, updated or revised must comply with it. TAC 206.70 establishes only a minimum standard for accessibility; developers, designers and content editors at UT Dallas are encouraged to go beyond the minimum whenever possible.
Update Your Content, Stay Compliant: Accessibility Session Oct. 29
Changes to web and mobile app accessibility standards will be covered in the next Digital Accessibility Office Hours session at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
New Accessibility Rules
Federal regulations require that UT Dallas’ digital communications meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards by April 24, 2026. This applies to websites, course content, social media and more.
Contact University Web Services to request an accessibility review or training.
Your Role in Digital Accessibility
What Makes Digital Content Accessible?
A good foundation for understanding digital accessibility is provided by the World Wide Web Consortium, which outlines four principles of accessibility in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. These principles are:
- Perceivable: Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive. For example, images that convey information must have a text alternative that can be read allowed by a screen reader.
- Operable: User interface components and navigation must be operable. Interfaces must be usable by a variety of input and navigation methods. For example, menus should be navigable by keyboards and other types of input devices.
- Understandable: Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable. Ask yourself, will visitors to this webpage understand any jargon used? Will the site structure make sense to visitors? Will interactive features, such as forms or pop-ups, be intuitive? Think about the mindset and abilities of the likely visitors to a webpage.
- Robust: Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. Be sure to test webpages using a variety of devices and browsers, as well as with different input methods (such as keyboard navigation) and interpretation methods (such as screen reader audio output).