Understand Digital Accessibility

The problem isn't the person; it's the barrier.

When we talk about accessibility, it is important to remember that the person with the disability is not the problem. They are not an issue to be addressed or a requirement to appease. Instead, the barriers they encounter often come from the environments we create, the content we share, or the ways in which we expect people to interact with information.

Accessibility asks us to recognize and reduce these barriers. By creating content and environments that account for differing needs and abilities, we can help ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to access information, participate, and engage in meaningful ways!

What is Accessibility?

There are many definitions of accessibility, but UND looks to the definition used by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.

“Accessible” means a person with a disability is afforded the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability in an equally effective and equally integrated manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use. The person with a disability must be able to obtain the information as fully, equally and independently as a person without a disability.

- Office for Civil Rights, Department of Education

From this definition, there are a few important ideas to pull out: same information, same interactions, same services, equally effective, and independently. Accessibility doesn't simply mean that someone can technically get to something. We're looking at whether that person has the opportunity to engage with the content in an equivalent and meaningful way.

For example, you may choose to record your lectures and upload them to Blackboard so that students can use them as a study aid. While uploading the video technically gives everyone access to the same file, it may not provide the same opportunity for engagement. A student who cannot hear the audio may be unintentionally excluded from the information contained in the video if no captions or transcripts are provided.

Therefore, accessibility asks us to consider the experience of using the content, not simply whether someone can navigate to it.

What is Digital Accessibility?

Digital accessibility asks us to apply these same principles to digital content, tools, and technologies.

Digital accessibility means that digital content, tools, and technologies are designed so that people with disabilities can use them as equally, fully, and independently as anyone else. More specifically, digital accessibility means that everyone can perceive, understand, navigate, interact with, and contribute to digital content, regardless of disability status or assistive technology use.

For faculty and staff, this means considering accessibility throughout the whole process: creating, reviewing, and sharing digital materials. As you work with content, ask yourself the following questions:

Can people navigate to the content?
Can people use the content?
Can people understand the content?
Can people participate?

These questions can help identify accessibility barriers that may not be apparent from the visual appearance of the content alone. They also provide a simple way to begin thinking about the four guiding principles of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG): Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (P.O.U.R.).

While you don't need to be familiar with every technical requirement underlying the WCAG 2.1 AA standard, understanding these guiding principles can help you make more informed decisions when creating accessible digital content.

EXPLORE THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF ACCESSIBLE DIGITAL CONTENT

Accessibility is Not New

While it may feel like the recent push for digital accessibility has sprung out of nowhere, digital accessibility is a part of a much larger history of disability access and civil rights.

Federal laws such as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 established legal protections for individuals with disabilities long before many of today’s digital tools existed. As our world becomes increasingly digital, principles of equal access have increasingly been applied to digital content and technologies.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Title II

In 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice updated regulations under Title II of the ADA, establishing specific technical accessibility requirements for digital content provided by state and local governments, including public universities like UND.

For more information about the rule, its requirements, and how it applies to you at UND, visit the University's dedicated Title II page.

Learn About the ADA Title II Digital Accessibility Ruling

From Reactive to Proactive

For public universities like UND, this rule marks a pivotal shift in how we approach digital accessibility: from reactive to proactive.

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In a reactive approach, accessibility barriers are addressed after a need or problem is identified.

Content is created. The creator develops and designs content without necessarily considering accessibility during the creation process.
Content is shared. Content is made available to users, potentially containing accessibility barriers.
A user encounters a barrier. A user attempts to access content but encounters a barrier that prevents them from fully engaging with the content.
A user requests assistance. The user must contact the creator or support staff to report the barrier and request an alternative copy or format.
The creator identifies the barrier. The creator reviews the reported issue to determine what changes are needed to make the content accessible.
The user waits. The creator works to resolve the issue while the user may experience delays in accessing the content.
The user receives the accessible content. The user receives an accessible version of the material and can engage with the content.

As you can see, the reactive process can be quite lengthy, significantly impacting the user experience. By the time the end user receives an accessible copy, others may have already accessed and engaged with the content.

In a proactive approach, accessibility is considered before content is shared.

Content is designed with accessibility in mind. The creator incorporates accessibility best practices while developing content.
Content is checked for barriers. The creator reviews content, identifies potential accessibility barriers, and corrects issues before sharing.
Content is shared. Content is made available with common accessibility barriers already addressed.
The user accesses and engages with the content. Users can access and engage with content without having to request the removal of common accessibility barriers.

With a proactive approach, users have access to content in an equally effective and timely manner.

Accessibility and Accommodations

While a proactive approach to digital accessibility can reduce barriers before students encounter them, it does NOT replace formal accommodations. No matter how carefully we build a course or create accessible content, we cannot anticipate the needs of every person. Disability is diverse, and individual needs vary. Therefore, there will always be a need for accommodations.

Accessibility: Focuses on creating digital environments and content that are more friendly for people with disabilities to access and use.
Accommodations: Address the specific, documented needs of an individual.

Both are important, and one does not supplant the need for the other.

If you have a student with a documented accommodation and you need support meeting that accommodation, please reach out to the Student Disability Resource Office. If you are an employee and need support to perform the essential functions of your role, please reach out to the Civil Rights & Title IX Office to request a Workplace Accommodation form.