Provost Serio recently sent this message to all UW staff and a companion message to all UW faculty and instructors.
Dear Colleagues,
I am writing to share information about the University of Washington’s efforts to respond to the standard for digital accessibility — in our course content, websites, programs, services and activities.
On April 24, 2024, the Department of Justice published a rule on digital accessibility under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This rule requires the University’s digital content to be accessible starting on April 24, 2026. It encompasses public-facing digital platforms such as the UW website and mobile apps, in addition to content shared with colleagues and students on UW digital platforms, including academic course content.
Meeting this standard is not only a legal expectation but also an action consistent with our mission and values. Students with disabilities leave college at much higher rates than their peers. We all have an important role to play in meeting their accessibility needs by removing barriers at all levels. Together, we can ensure that the UW is a welcoming place to work and study — one where people with disabilities can thrive and make meaningful contributions unhindered.
This is, admittedly, a major effort, and you are not in this alone. It will take the combined effort of individual staff members and administrative unit leaders, central groups that support accessibility, UW-IT, faculty and academic units, and others.
ADA Digital Accessibility Initiative will support the transition
I have established an ADA Digital Accessibility Initiative whose action teams are developing recommendations for new resources, training, policies and tools. Information on the initiative and related work is available on the Digital Accessibility page and will be updated regularly. This initiative will help the UW:
- Chart the course toward substantial compliance with the revised standards by April 2026.
- Implement sustainable processes and tools to manage digital accessibility effectively.
- Provide training, tools and resources to faculty, staff and students.
What you can do now to prepare
While the action teams are in the process of developing tools, support and resources that will be put toward this new rule, there are initial steps we encourage you and your unit to take as you prepare. More information on the following steps can be found on this What You Can Do Now page:
- Learn what your unit is already doing to address digital accessibility. Many units have a coordinator for this work and have developed unit-specific approaches.
- Build your understanding of digital accessibility through new training opportunities, as well as in-depth information about specific topics such as documents, social media and websites.
- Review and inventory digital content for which you are responsible — this may include webpages, documents, videos, social media, training content and more. This will help you know what kind of resources, support and training to seek to help you improve the accessibility of your content.
- Delete or archive digital content that is no longer accurate, up-to-date or relevant. A webpage without extra pages and files is easier to make accessible.
Over the next several months, you may also be asked to participate in training sessions, contribute to accessibility reviews or adopt new tools and practices designed to ensure compliance. I urge each of you to embrace this effort as a reflection of our shared values and commitment to creating a campus culture of accessibility that meets the needs of members of our community with disabilities.
I encourage you to reach out to digitalaccess@uw.edu if you have suggestions about this initiative, and I am deeply grateful for your support and dedication as we undertake this important work. With steady progress, working together, we’ll get there.
Sincerely,
Tricia R. Serio
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Professor, Biochemistry