How to make your website accessible 

Review current WSU, Washington state, and federal policies. Make sure you know the guidelines and are familiar with WCAG 2.1. These guidelines provide the necessary framework for making your web content accessible.  

What are the policies? 

The following policies provide the standards for creating accessible digital content and technology. 

Americans with Disabilities Act Title II Regulations 

This rule requires WSU to give people with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from all their programs, services, and activities. On April 24, 2024, the Federal Register published the Department of Justice (DOJ) final rule updating its regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The final rule has specific requirements (WCAG 2.1 AA) for how to ensure that web content and mobile applications (apps) are accessible to people with disabilities. 

Washington State USER-01 Accessibility Policy  

This policy, formerly known as 188, establishes the expectation for state agencies that people with disabilities have access to and use of information and data and be provided access to the same services and content that is available to persons without disabilities. The technical standard for compliance with accessibility is WCAG 2.1. Review the full Accessibility Policy on the Washington Technology Solutions website.  

WSU Policies 

The following policies help WSU comply with Title II of the Americans with Disability Act and Washington state’s USER-01 Accessibility Policy. 

BPPM 10.45 – Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility 

Washington State University (WSU, University) is committed to providing equal access to electronic and information technology (EIT) for all students, staff, faculty, and others with disabilities. This includes but is not limited to accessibility of instructional materials, documents, media, and other information provided through WSU’s telecommunication products, websites, online learning services, software systems, and information kiosks. Review the full BPPM 10.45 policy on the Office of Policies, Records, and Forms website.

WSU Accessibility Statement 

Washington State University is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible environment for all students, staff, faculty, and visitors who participate in WSU’s programs or services.  WSU will ensure that students, faculty, staff, and visitors have access to university facilities, technology, and information needed to have an equal opportunity to succeed in their education, employment, and community activities. 

Read the full University Accessibility Statement on the Access at WSU website.   

What is WCAG 2.1? 

WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. The guidelines are created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and help make web content accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. They are organized under the four principles of accessibility. Below is a simplified list of the requirements organized under the principles.  

Perceivable 

Review WCAG 2.1 Principle 1- Perceivable

• Text Alternatives: Provide text descriptions for images and other non-text content. 
• Time-based Media: Offer captions for videos and transcripts for audio. 
• Adaptable: Ensure content can be presented in different ways without losing meaning. 
• Distinguishable: Make it easy to see and hear content, like using good color contrast and allowing text to be resized. 

Operable 

Review WCAG 2.1 Principle 2 – Operable

• Keyboard Accessible: Make sure everything can be used with a keyboard. 
• Enough Time: Give users enough time to read and use content. 
• Seizures and Physical Reactions: Avoid content that can cause seizures, like flashing lights. 
• Navigable: Help users navigate and find content, such as using clear headings and labels. 

Understandable 

Review WCAG 2.1 Principle 3 – Understandable

• Readable: Make text readable and understandable. 
• Predictable: Ensure web pages appear and operate in predictable ways. 
• Input Assistance: Help users avoid and correct mistakes, like providing clear error messages. 

Robust 

Review WCAG 2.1 Principle 4 – Robust

• Compatible: Ensure content works well with current and future technologies, including assistive technologies. 

Once you identify all accessibility issues on your site, begin prioritizing what to fix and how to fix them. Make sure to download and use the Core Concepts (PDF) check sheet as a guide for fixing issues.  

• Start with Errors and Alerts. Errors and Alerts are identified within WSU WDS. You can access the Accessibility & Usability dropdown panel within the page editor.  Errors and Alerts are also identified using the WAVE tool. Errors and Alerts are the most critical and create significant barriers for people with disabilities.  
• Review and manually check all Warnings.  
• Remove all unneeded documents and have them replaced with web pages if appropriate. Documents can create barriers for all users. There are many reasons why PDFs and other documents should not be posted online including the following:  
• A web page or online form is  almost always a better option  
• They hinder web performance in search, which is bad for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 
• Additional steps and even software may be necessary to access their content  
• They are not mobile friendly  
• They are harder to track in analytics unless special reports are developed  
• They cause difficulty in navigation, affecting the user experience  
• They are less likely to be kept up to date because it takes extra steps to update the file, export, then reupload  
• If you can’t fix the issue yourself, reach out for help.  
• Submit a Web Support Form 
• Attend Open Lab with the CAHNRS Web team on Wednesdays at 11 
• Attend Open Lab with the Central Web team on Fridays at 9:30 
• Schedule a one-on-one or department/unit training with the CANNRS web team