FGCU Digital Content Accessibility Guide
March 06, 2026 / Digital Learning / Tags: Accessibility, Guide, Digital Learning, Digital
What is Happening?
A new U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) rule under the ADA requires that all public-facing and student-facing digital content meet WCAG 2.1 level AA standards by April 24, 2026.
This includes—but is not limited to—content in:
- Canvas
- Documents (Word, PDFs, slides)
- Video and Audio
- Social Media Linked in Courses
- Spreadsheets
- Publisher Materials
What We Do Not Know Yet
Because federal enforcement procedures have not been defined, we still do not know:
- When FGCU digital content will be checked
- Who will be checking it
- What percentage or threshold will be considered "meets standard"
- Consequences for not meeting the standard
For now, chairs are the point of contact for any compliance-related decisions.
What We Do Know
- Faculty are responsible for ensuring digital course content is accessible.
- Digital Learning, ITS, and Adaptive Services are here to support, not police.
- Digital Learning cannot retrofit your course content for you, but we can teach you how to use the tools.
- If your course completed a QM Review within the last 5 years, your accessibility score is approximately 85%, which meets FGCU’s current internal accessibility expectations.
Recommended Process
- From today forward, create all new digital content with accessibility in mind. Use accessibility checkers as you build to avoid retrofitting later.
- Add a weekly “retrofitting hour” to your calendar.
- Start with the next course you will teach.
- Contact your instructional designer if you need help. We can guide you through accessibility checkers, Ally, Canvas Rich Content Editor, MS Applications Accessibility Checker, and best practices.
Resources
- Fact Sheet: New Rule on the Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps Provided by State and Local Governments
- Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines
- Create Accessible Digital Products
- Ally Accessibility Checker (unpublished documents will not be counted toward your score beginning late spring 2026)
- Make your Canvas Course Accessible
- Canvas Rich Content Editor
- Adaptive Services Digital Accessibility Page
- FGCU Digital Accessibility Trainings
- Guide Using AI to Support Accessibility (POUR) and Universal
- Designing Accessible Learning with AI Inside and Outside the LMS
- Contact your Instructional Designer
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