Digital Accessibility Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Digital accessibility ensures that websites, documents, videos, software, and other digital content can be used by everyone, including individuals with disabilities who use assistive technologies such as screen readers, keyboard navigation, or voice control.

It is both a legal requirement and a reflection of ISU’s values. Accessible digital content ensures all students, staff, faculty, and community members can fully participate in university life. It also helps the university comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II, Section 508, and WCAG 2.1 AA standards.

ISU’s Digital Accessibility Policy outlines expectations for university employees and departments to ensure all public-facing and student-facing digital content meets WCAG 2.1 AA. This includes websites, instructional materials, documents, videos, and more.

Everyone. Whether you’re a content creator, instructor, developer, or communications professional, you have a role in ensuring the accessibility of your digital materials.

Visit the Digital Accessibility Toolkit for role-specific guidance and training. You can also contact the ITS Digital Accessibility Team for consultation or support by emailing digitalaccess@iastate.edu.

All digital content including:

• Public-facing websites and web content
• Student-facing instructional materials in Canvas
• PDF, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files
• Videos and audio content
• Digital forms and surveys
• Purchased or procured software/tools used for the completion of work or school tasks

Use Anthology Ally in Canvas to scan and fix your instructional materials.

Yes. All videos used in public or student-facing settings must have accurate captions (minimum 99% accuracy) and/or transcripts. Auto-captions (e.g., from YouTube) are not sufficient unless reviewed and corrected. Use tools like Echo360, Panopto, Canvas Studio, or submit professional captioning requests through 3Play Media. See our Captioning Guide to decipher which caption opens are the best first for your materials.

Yes. All software and digital tools used, purchased, or renewed by ISU must undergo a formal digital accessibility review. This includes submitting a VPAT, completing the Web Content & Apps Catalog, and working with Procurement and the Digital Accessibility Team.

By April 24, 2026, all public-facing and student-facing digital content must meet WCAG 2.1 AA as required by the U.S. Department of Justice under the ADA Title II Final Rule.

Inaccessible course content may lead to:

• Formal complaints or grievances.
• Legal risk for the university.
• Harm to student learning and experience.

Website content that does not achieve accessibility compliance by April 24, 2026, will result in the non-compliant sites being taken down until proper remediation can be completed.

Yes! ISU offers:

• A comprehensive Digital Accessibility Toolkit with how-to guides
• Workshops and department presentations