Dear Colleagues,
I want to share some updates with UW instructors on progress we’re making to support you in meeting the expectations of the Department of Justice rule on digital accessibility under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As many of you know, this rule requires all University digital content – including course content – to be accessible starting on April 24, 2026.
As we continue to strengthen our commitment to digital accessibility in course materials, I’ve heard concerns from instructors about this requirement: whether you will be expected to do the majority of this work on your own, what resources will be provided to help meet this requirement, whether it might inhibit student-centered teaching practices and whether individual instructors would be legally responsible if course content is found to be inaccessible. I want to take a moment to provide clarity and assurance on some of these concerns along with practical guidance on next steps as you prepare for autumn quarter and beyond.
Faculty and student-centered approach
As part of the Digital Accessibility Initiative, a tri-campus Academic Course Content Action Team of faculty and staff subject matter experts have developed guiding principles for how the UW supports digital accessibility of course content – principles that resonate with UW values and with me, personally. They include:
- Taking steps toward compliance in the near-term, knowing we will continue to make improvements in the longer-term
- Minimizing burden by asking instructors to focus on less technical issues while providing central support for more complex issues
- Leveraging existing tools and services that support accessibility, and investing in scalable, long-term solutions as funding permits
- Finding solutions that support, rather than inhibit, student-centered teaching practices
This approach – which puts instructors in partnership with central services – will help us meet ADA expectations. Together, we can move from a reactive approach of fixing issues through remediation to proactively creating course materials that are accessible from the start.
Clarifying faculty responsibility for digital accessibility
I’d also like to take the opportunity to reassure instructors that while digital accessibility is a legal requirement, the University – not individual faculty – is ultimately responsible for ensuring compliance with the ADA rule. As faculty members, you play a critical role in helping the University meet accessibility standards by taking steps to create and deliver accessible course content and respond to disability accommodations. As you act in good faith by following University policy and guidance on meeting accessibility expectations, the University will stand behind you.
Acting in good faith includes making reasonable efforts to:
- Follow best practices and guidance from the Digital Accessibility Initiative on how to improve accessibility in your courses.
- Use accessibility checkers when available and respond to their feedback.
- Use only approved, centrally supported tools like Canvas, Panopto and Zoom to host course materials and activities. Work with your department to procure accessible tools in your discipline. If unsure, consult UW-IT.
- Collaborate with campus accessibility offices when accessibility issues arise through the accommodation process or are complex.
Together, and with steady progress, we can meet both our legal obligations and our commitment to an inclusive student experience. Support and guidance are available now, with more coming soon from the Initiative.
Guidance
The Teaching@UW’s Making Course Materials Accessible webpage provides an excellent starting point for instructors and links to more detailed guidance. This page will be updated regularly, and I encourage you to access these resources as you plan your courses and create materials.
As you prepare for autumn quarter, I recommend prioritizing the following areas:
Once you have worked on these, you can pivot to addressing assignments and handouts, as the steps for creating an accessible syllabus apply to other types of documents.
Additional guidance in future quarters will build on these actions and will include using accessibility checkers, accessibility of images and textbooks, and more.
While the steps associated with making our work accessible may be unfamiliar, please know that help is available, and we will continue to refine our support services as needs arise.
If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to DigitalAccess@uw.edu.
Philip J. Reid
Vice Provost for Academic and Student Affairs
Professor of Chemistry
This message was sent to all faculty and academic personnel across the University of Washington via email on June 4, 2025.