Digital Accessibility Introduction: What, Why and How?

This article defines digital accessibility, describes why it matters, and provides guidance on how to learn more about this topic.  Our goal is to expand the knowledge and skills of our university community (faculty, staff, and students) around accessibility practices that support equal opportunity and equivalent ease of use for digital content. Proactively ensuring that courses, content, and communications are digitally accessible improves the experience for ALL users, regardless of disability status. 

While we strive for accessible digital content, there are situations in which individual needs cannot easily be met and specific accommodations may need to be requested through the Office of Disability Resources. Find links for Accommodation Requests due to a disability at the end of this article. 

Digital Accessibility Defined

Digital accessibility means that all people, including people with disabilities and those using assistive technology (such as screen readers), have effective access and equivalent ease of use of digital content, technology applications, and electronic information communications (EIT).  

For example: 

• Digital content including video and audio content, online course content, documents (word docs, PDFs, PowerPoints, spreadsheets), and image and infographics;  

• Technology applications including hardware, software, mobile apps, tools and forms; and,  

• Electronic information communications (EIT) such as emails, social media, websites, digital posters, and blogs.  

Digital accessibility addresses the needs of people with vision, hearing, mobility, speech, cognitive, and neural disabilities; this includes visible, invisible, permanent, and temporary disabilities. A focus on improving our digital accessibility can overall improve content and experience for all of us!  

Why Digital Accessibility? 

There are many reasons to learn digital accessibility practices, including:  

• Equitable access to electronic, information, and technologies is a civil right. All individuals have the right to equitable access to digital content and digital communications.   

• It’s the law. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) give substantial backbone to the right to digitally accessible learning, daily living activities, and electronic information technology (EIT) experiences.  

• Accessibility speaks to our St. Thomas core value All for the Common Good, dignity and respect for all, and creating a culture of encounter. 

• Digital accessibility can benefit all people who at times need alternative ways to access content or technologies. For example, closed captioning is essential for a deaf person, and also helps a hearing person in a noisy theatre to understand what is being said in a movie. 

Start Learning!

St. Thomas provides a range of resources to learn how to create accessible digital content, including the following:  

• Enroll in the Digital Accessibility Basics Canvas site and Learning Hub. In this self-paced module learn how to use eight core accessibility skills and other foundational resources. 

• Search our digital accessibility Knowledge Base articles. Log into https://services.stthomas.edu/ and type a word or phrase into the search box (e.g., “Microsoft accessibility”, “accessibility checker”, “social media accessibility”, “email accessibility”, “alt text” or “closed captioning”). 

• Check out our Digital Accessibility at the University of St. Thomas page.  

Making content, systems and communications digitally accessibility is an ongoing process, not something you do once and check off the list. Start with one or some new digital accessibility practice(s) and then keep on improving the way you create more accessible digital content. 

For Additional Help

Request for Service  

In addition to the previously listed resources, click “Request For Service” on this page for additional Digital Accessibility information and support in the following areas:  

• Captioning for Audio Visual (AV)/Media Captioning: Request closed captioning or how to access the automated closed captioning options.   

• Academic Technology Accessibility:  Find and use accessibility technologies to leverage in Canvas and other academic technologies (Canvas toolsYuJa Panorama and Tidy Up).  

• Document Accessibility: Use the Microsoft accessibility checker tools for accessible Word docs, PowerPoints, how to create alt text and other document formatting; accessible PDF's)

• Websites (St. Thomas) Accessibility: Get help with specific accessibility issues in OneStThomas and the public-facing UST website.  

• Schedule a presentation/training (share initial ideas -who, what, why, when-in ticket)

• Other Digital Accessibility Support or Consultation: If you don’t see it in the previous categories, we are happy to try to help.   

Technology Purchasing (Procurement): Plan ahead for accessibility as you purchase or consider new software, hardware, and technologies, on the Technology Intake Request make note that you'd like help looking at digital accessibility for your purchase considerations. 

Note: The Digital Accessibility Services and Assistance team is not able to urgently respond to tickets although we do our best. As you wait for a response to a ticket, continue to explore the resources and ideas in the Digital Accessibility Introduction article. 

Accommodation Requests

• If you are a student seeking disability accommodations for situations other than student employment, please contact Disability Resources for confidential support.

• If you are a member of our staff or faculty seeking an individual accommodation for a disability, please contact the Benefits team in Human Resources for confidential support.  You can reach the Benefits team via the askHR link and do not need to include any private health information in your request beyond requesting an “Accommodation Consult from Benefits.”

• Students seeking accommodation related to student employment should use the askHR link as outlined above for faculty and staff. 

Continue Your Learning and Get Involved

Digital accessibility is a shared responsibility and requires involvement from each of us! To get more involved with this work, select the Request For Service on this page and then select “Other Digital Accessibility Support or Consultation” and tell us your ideas!