Digital access
access vs Accessibility
Accessibility is a proper noun. It refers to compliance standards like WCAG 2.1, which are extremely important in guiding people like me, who do not need assistive technology to navigate computers, phones, or other devices, make them function for people who do.
As an Accessibility professional of ten years, I build programs with schools and government agencies to work toward institutional Accessibility. Not just a quick band-aid to increase number temporarily, but staff and software programs that take the long-term view and minimize risk on web, procurement, and LMS platforms.
When I talk about digital access, I’m referring to a broader definition of access. As important as WCAG is, there are other factors to clearing the way for Dis/abled users’ success. I am interested in working with systems, institutions, and Dis'/abled individuals to fully support and enable navigation, usability, and access to digital tools.
Assistive Technology
Assistive technology are software and hardware products that work with Accessible digital content to enable access for some Dis/abled users. The problem is, many of these products are prohibitively expensive, unless you are a student or employee of an institution that would provide them for you, after jumping through administrative and/or diagnostic hoops to prove you’re Dis/abled enough to access them,
The truth is, anyone could benefit from assistive technology (like movie captions, audiobook readers, or dark mode on your phone), and I am interested in gaining access for people and institutions, regardless of their budget. Whether you need speech-to-text, screen readers, alternate formats, nonspeaking communication tools, or any other way of navigating or participating with technology, talk to me about how to use applications or devices you already have to create a more functional experience.
ADA Title II
In April 2024 the Department of Justice released new rules on the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title II, dictating specific standards and requirements for legal compliance. With my experience in WCAG compliance and understanding of recent legal precedence, I am contracting and consulting with Universities and schools in California to work toward robust and defensible compliance strategies before the deadline in April 2026. If you are concerned about your institution’s web Accessibility, please reach out for a consultation, and take a look at the FAQs below.
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The new ADA rule outlines WCAG 2.1 AA compliance as the new standard requirement for public agencies’ web content and mobile applications. That sounds limited, but in practice it includes a massive amount of content for most offices. More specifically, the new rule says all digital content, whether public-facing or not, must be WCAG compliant by April 2026, unless it qualifies for a small list of exceptions (see below). Most content however, including all web pages, social media account, web applications, and beyond, are subject to the new rule.
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Dis/abled students, staff, faculty, and other campus community members rely on Accessibility guidelines to utilize University services. WCAG compliance is only one piece of the access puzzle, but it's an important one that ensures an individual's accommodation or assistive technology is able to work with our content. It is our ethical and academic mission to ensure we are reaching all learners in our community.
Legally speaking, noncompliance with Accessibility guidelines can carry some hefty consequences. Recent lawsuits in higher education have mandated the payment of plaintiff's legal fees, hiring of Accessibility-responsible positions, and restrictive compliance timeline agreements. To put it briefly: being sued for Acccessibility means you still have to make everything Accessible, but with less time and higher fees.
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There are a few exceptions, but they are pretty limited:
Archived content, which must be easily identified as such, and kept only for records and/or research purposes, could be an exception. However, if the archived content is ever updated (i.e. making changes to a digital copy of an old film), the updated version must be WCAG compliant.
Password protected, personal content that is housed in a private location, such as a student’s grade sheet in their school cloud account, may be exempt.
Document files that are no longer relevant (such as a flyer for a 2022 office picnic) may be exempt. However, if that document is updated for a 2026 picnic, that new version must be compliant.
Non-contracted third party content (this one’s tricky), such as an individual’s comment or post to a public-facing message board, may be exempt. However, if the content is posted by an employee in their official capacity, or by a contracted third party organization (i.e. a web developer working on your website), it must be compliant.
Preexisting social media posts, from before April 2026 may be exempt. But, all new social media posts, including reposts of older content, must be compatible from April 2026 and on.
If you’re concerned, or you know your web content is not WCAG compliant, please contact me for a consultation.