Department of Justice Digital Accessibility Update

The DOJ Final Rule requires digital content at Iowa State to comply with WCAG 2.1 AA standards by April 24, 2026. This rule ensures that people with disabilities can access digital materials and services equitably. The WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) provides technical standards for making digital content accessible to students, faculty, staff, and the public.

Everyone at Iowa State is responsible for ensuring digital accessibility. Whether you’re a faculty, staff, administrator, student leader, or an external partner, you must ensure your web content and mobile apps comply with WCAG 2.1 AA standards.

All web content and mobile apps in use by any ISU affiliated entity must comply with WCAG 2.1 AA standards. This includes websites, documents, multimedia, course materials, research papers, mobile and desktop apps, social media posts, and any software used by the university. No digital asset is exempt, regardless of its purpose or audience. Both public-facing and non-public-facing digital content are included. Note: Database files not primarily intended to be human-readable are exempt.

Non-compliance can result in legal penalties, reputational damage, and, most importantly, the exclusion of people with disabilities from accessing Iowa State’s digital resources. Ensuring all content is accessible is crucial to avoiding these consequences and maintaining an accessible digital environment.

Iowa State provides tools like Siteimprove for auditing websites and digital materials and Anthology Ally for ensuring accessibility in Canvas courses. These tools measure content against WCAG 2.1 AA standards and identify areas that need improvement. The ITS Digital Accessibility Team offers additional guidance and resources via the Digital Accessibility Toolkit.

Start by reviewing existing digital content and using tools from the Digital Accessibility Toolkit. Review websites, documents, and multimedia to ensure they meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. For guidance, contact the ITS Digital Accessibility Team at digitalaccess@iastate.edu. Please note that departments should not create their own training resources. The ITS Digital Accessibility Team is the central location for publishing training and other resources.

Start by reviewing existing digital content and using tools from the Digital Accessibility Toolkit. Review websites, documents, and multimedia to ensure they meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. For guidance, contact the ITS Digital Accessibility Team at digitalaccess@iastate.edu. Please note that departments should not create their own training resources. The ITS Digital Accessibility Team is the central location for publishing training and other resources.

Iowa State must meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards by April 24, 2026. Departments should first prioritize reviewing their most visible or frequently accessed content—such as websites, student resources, course content, and educational materials. Internal documents and systems should follow. It’s essential to regularly review and update content and ensure all new content is created to be accessible from the outset.

Third-party content—including external apps, software, and websites—must meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. All software or digital tools procured by Iowa State must go through a digital accessibility review to ensure it complies with WCAG standards. Departments must work with their vendors to ensure compliance or find accessible alternatives.

The DOJ “… defines “web content” as the information and sensory experience to be communicated to the user by means of a user agent, including code or markup that defines the content's structure, presentation, and interactions. Examples of web content include text, images, sounds, videos, controls, animations, and conventional electronic documents.” The Department's definition of “web content” is aligned with the definition of “web content” in WCAG 2.1. A user agent is a web browser, assistive technology, or other means of accessing web content and mobile apps.

In general, all digital content must meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. There are very few exemptions. Social media posts that date before April 24, 2026 are exempt, unless access is requested. In that case, the requested content must be made accessible. Web content in a specified area labeled as such (i.e. “Archive”) is exempt unless access is requested. Database files not intended to be human readable are also exempt.

All digital educational content—including Canvas courses, research papers, and student resources—must comply with WCAG 2.1 AA standards. Faculty, instructional designers, and instructors are responsible for ensuring their materials are accessible.

Research tools and any online resources used for academic purposes must also comply with WCAG 2.1 AA standards. This includes scientific data, charts, and interactive resources. Researchers developing new digital tools should ensure that accessibility is integrated from the start. Database files that are not intended to be human readable are exempt. However, a database that is posted to be accessed, searched, extract data from, or has any other user interaction needs to comply.

Iowa State encourages students and the public to report any digital accessibility issues by contacting digitalaccess@iastate.edu on the university’s digital accessibility website. The ITS Digital Accessibility Team reviews these reports and addresses the barriers as soon as possible to ensure access for all users.

The ITS Digital Accessibility Team offers audits, training, and guidance. We also offer fee-for-services for projects outside of our typical scope of enterprise level work. For instance, inclusion on grants, full review of Canvas courses, help creating accessible documents, help creating accessible web content, designing accessible websites and mobile apps, or other requests.

Iowa State will offer ongoing training sessions and workshops to keep everyone informed about accessibility standards. The Digital Accessibility Toolkit will be updated regularly, and the ITS Digital Accessibility Team will provide updates on best practices for maintaining compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA standards. A required self-paced online training for all faculty, staff, and students is in progress. Staying engaged with these resources is essential to ensure long-term compliance success.