January 15, 2026

Preparing for the 2026 digital accessibility mandate: A universitywide responsibility

Public universities nationwide are preparing for new federal digital accessibility requirements that take effect on April 24, 2026, under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These regulations require that all publicly available digital content meets Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards.

Compliance is not limited to central offices or technical teams. In fact, individuals or units that create, share or publish content supporting or representing the university — whether content for courses, information about services, internal or external outreach, or public information created by SIU — will hold responsibility for updating materials that are in use and ensuring that future content is accessible prior to release. This is a universitywide effort that will require attention from faculty and staff as well as shared diligence and coordination.

Compliance is mandatory, but it is important to remember that accessibility reflects institutional values. A culture of accessibility promotes equitable participation, reduces delays caused by reactive accommodations and strengthens the university’s impact on individuals, the surrounding community and the broader region. Accessibility is proactive; it creates digital pathways that allow all users to engage fully and independently.

Currently University Communications and Marketing, the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE),  the ADA Office, Office for Access and Accommodations and Office of Information Technology are working together on major university systems. Nonetheless, much of the work to be done requires that faculty and staff update content that they have created, own or manage.

The CTE has developed this accessibility checklist to provide basic guidelines for remediation. Additionally, a bank of accessibility resources can be found on the Website and Digital Accessibility webpage, including how-to’s for Microsoft and D2L Brightspace platforms, as well as more generic content on web accessibility, and creating accessible documents. And LinkedIn Learning (available to all faculty and staff) has a library of content on various accessibility topics such as Designing for Digital Accessibility for Online Learning.

Now is not the time to worry but the time to start. Faculty and staff should conduct a thoughtful inventory of digital and/or mobile content that is in use and public facing (think D2L Brightspace and SIU Carbondale webpages). This review should prioritize content that will be used again in the summer or fall 2026 semesters as well as any new content. Examples include:

  • Content for courses.
  • Information about services.
  • Internal or external outreach.
  • Externally accessible information representing SIU.

Note: Some SIU distribution channels such as CMS will no longer accept content that is not in compliance. It is also important to note that although it may be possible to upload content to some digital spaces, it is the creator’s/owner’s responsibility to ensure compliance.

Then, create an action plan for remediation:

  • Identify content that needs review and/or attention.
  • Prioritize content that allows people to perform key tasks.
  • Prioritize highly used or visited content.
  • Prioritize content scheduled or in development for upcoming use.

Additional articles will follow this one with tips and resources. Moreover, labs, training sessions and listening forums are currently being scheduled and will be offered throughout the spring semester. Those schedules will be posted here and on the various teams’ websites and emailed.