Digital Accessibility

Dare to be uncommon. Dare to be an a11y.

Commonwealth University is committed to making our digital content accessible, so that everyone has the opportunity to access our information and resources. We want to be an accessibility a11y.

Below, you'll find links to resources about digital accessibility, and resources to guide you in making or adapting a variety of digital resources to meet accessibility standards; all of our resources are geared towards having content meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA, as mandated by the April 2024 update to ADA regulations.

What is Digital Accessibility?

Digital accessibility means making digital content (such as email, files, websites) usable by everyone, including people using assistive technology to access and interact with digital content.

To learn more about the basics of digital accessibility, review our Dare to be an a11y: Digital Accessibility Basics learning path on LinkedIn Learning. (This requires login to LinkedIn Learning with your CU credentials.) To learn more about the update to the federal Title II guidelines, check out the ada.gov fact sheet.

Digital Accessibility at Commonwealth University

Commonwealth University has implemented an Interim Digital Accessibility Policy to reflect its commitment to removing barriers and ensuring compliance with accessibility guidelines and best practices.

In addition to this commitment, a Digital Accessibility Advisory Group was formed to guide the university in all aspects of digital accessibility and provide oversight of related issues. Visit our Digital Accessibility Statement.

Resources & Support

CATS has compiled a guide to accessibility resources for different types of content on the CU Help Desk Knowledge Base.
- This includes a Digital Accessibility checklist and AV checklist that are based on WCAG 2.1 standards and best practices that can be used when remediating content.
For faculty, Quality Matters offers the Accessibility and Usability Resource Site containing curated resources to improve accessibility and usability of online learning experiences. QM is a non-profit organization that seeks to improve the quality of online education.
W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative provides a wealth of accessibility training resources at w3.org/WAI/teach-advocate and also have a free online course about digital accessibility at w3.org/WAI/courses/foundations-course.

University Offices

Commonwealth Academic Technology Support (CATS) – Instructional Technology Support
Disability Services – ADA & Accommodations
Human Resources – Employee Support
Information Technology – Accessible Systems & Technical Support
Strategic Communications and Marketing – Public Website Support

Need Help with Digital Accessibility?

Commonwealth University employees can request training for themselves or their departments on making digital content accessible by reaching out to the Digital Accessibility Advisory Group at CUAlly@commonwealthu.edu.

Do you have an issue you would like to report? Our Digital Accessibility Concern Form is coming soon.