Frequently Asked Questions

Aim for green as the minimum standard. Yellow may be acceptable temporarily, but content owners should actively work toward achieving all green gauges. 

If you need assistance with content items, please contact the Digital Accessibility Team.

Not consistently. Accessibility for complex STEM notations and equations is still evolving across platforms and assistive technologies. 

To improve accessibility, use the built-in equation editor in Elearning rather than inserting equations as images or screenshots, as this provides better support for screen readers and structured content.

• Use Elearning’s accessibility features (e.g., extended time for students requesting accommodations).
• Keep 10 questions or fewer per page.
• Provide alt text for images.
• Use the built-in equation editor in Elearning rather than inserting equations as images or screenshots, as this provides better support for screen readers and structured content.

No. The expectation is not that faculty redo all content by April 24. Instead, the focus should be on using the Ally course report to identify accessibility issues and fixes. 

The most important thing is for WMU to be able to show that we are diligently working toward accessibility.  This digital accessibility project is not a “one and done” effort.  WMU is working toward a paradigm shift, toward making digital accessibility part of our DNA/culture as a university.

Current Spring 2026 Elearning courses do not need to be fully remediated by April 24; however, any new content you create for or copy into future courses must meet accessibility standards.

• Mediasite videos: auto-captioned (human-corrected where indicated).
• We’re seeking vendor support to expand captioning beyond Mediasite.
• You can request captioning via the Digital Accessibility Help Request form.

Automated/AI captions are typically 90–95% accurate and may need human review.

Yes. All University email communications should be accessible, including, most especially, mass emails. This includes the email message itself as well as any attachments or linked documents. 

If you receive an inaccessible email or attachment and plan to forward or reuse it, you are responsible for ensuring the content is accessible before sharing it with others.  

• Guidance is also on the Email and SMS page in the Digital Accessibility website.
• Any employee sending emails in accordance with the Mass Email Policy should contact their vendor to discuss accessibility tools within that platform. The University has already received guidance for those using Salesforce Marketing Cloud. 

For questions, please submit the Digital Accessibility Help Request form.

All digital components associated with an in-person event must meet Title II requirements for accessible web content and effective communication. If it is created, shared or accessed digitally as part of the event, it must be accessible. (Note: In-person events must also be physically accessible.)

What counts as “digital” for in-person events? 

Examples include event webpages, online registration forms, ticketing systems, event apps, email announcements, digital flyers (PDFs), presentation slides, livestream platforms, recorded sessions, social media promotions, and QR-code–linked materials.

• Ensure registration forms and event webpages are accessible and usable with assistive technologies.
• Provide a clear method to request accommodations within digital registration materials.
• Share accessible presentation slides, documents and PDFs (e.g., tagged, structured, and readable by screen readers).
• Provide captions for livestreamed and recorded content; review AI-generated captions for accuracy.
• Ensure any platforms or apps used for the event support keyboard navigation and screen reader access.

A: Not always. Native accessibility features in Word or Excel do not always carry over when you use Save As PDF. 

To preserve accessibility, use “Export as PDF” instead of “Save As” whenever possible.

The preference is to use native content when possible, and the CMS allows for many document types. 

Please explore read-only document types in Microsoft Word or Google Docs to display content on the website relevant for a public audience; internal documents and forms are not appropriate for the website. 

If a PDF is the only option, it must be "born" accessible, meaning accessibility is built into the original document and maintained going forward.

No. Marking something as “archived” is not sufficient if the file is still used by the public.

• Archived items should be stored in a distinct and discreet location and clearly labeled as Archived/Historic with a statement and a contact path for an accessible version on request.
• Only label as “archived” if you are certain the item will not be used again.
• For high-use public materials (e.g., maps frequently accessed by the public), archiving alone does not apply—these require remediation.

Generally, yes. Anything we link to or provide should be accessible (there may be limited exceptions). See Third-Party Content and Products for additional guidance.

The ADA Title II digital accessibility rule primarily applies to websites, mobile apps and other digital content and does not require all printed materials to be proactively accessible.

However, under ADA Title II and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, institutions are still required to provide reasonable accommodations upon request. This means that if an individual with a disability needs a printed document in a digitally accessible format, the University must provide it in a timely and effective manner.

Yes. Social media content on official WMU channels needs to be accessible. See the website resources for social media guidance.

Not usually. Only official WMU channels are required to meet accessibility standards.

However, if you use a personal account for university business, it may be treated as an official channel. This is more likely if you:

• Use your account to communicate official WMU information regularly.
• Direct students there for updates.
• Present yourself in an official role.
• Use it to provide services or respond to the public.

Example:

If a department chair uses a personal account to post announcements, share deadlines, or answer questions about WMU, it could be considered part of a university program—and may need to meet ADA Title II accessibility requirements. 

Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) are not governed by WMU’s accessibility policy. However, as with any third-party content, when RSO content is shared on a WMU platform, it is then considered WMU content and must meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards.

Follow up with the vendor to request a VPAT. If they won’t or can’t provide one, research other accessible alternative products/services. 

If there are no alternatives and your department still needs the product/service, work with the Digital Accessibility Team and the vendor to create a temporary alternative access plan (TAAP). 

You must follow up periodically with the vendor to make sure they are working to make their product/service accessible (WCAG 2.1 AA).

These platforms have passed technology-level compliance, but all of the content you create within them must also follow digital accessibility best practices.

Yes. There is a centralized list of Approved and Disapproved Technology Products/Services. 

If you do not see a product/software on the list that you are using, please contact the Digital Accessibility Team.

WMU faculty and staff now have access to the Siteimprove Learning Hub, which offers self-paced training focused on digital accessibility and inclusive web practices.

To request user access to Siteimprove platform to help manage accessibility, quality assurance and SEO issues, contact the Digital Accessibility Team.

It depends on who decides to use the content. In some situations, you’re responsible for making sure third‑party content is accessible before sharing it in your WMU role. 

In other cases, like when the content is required by law or posted by people outside WMU, you’re not responsible for fixing it, but you may still need to make sure everyone can access it.

For a breakdown of what counts as your responsibility (and what doesn’t), check out the guidelines for third‑party digital content. 

The CMS platform is kept up to date and has made significant strides in this area. The remaining work is content-level accessibility (headings, alt text, link text, contrast, etc.). 

Western Michigan University provides several accessibility evaluation tools to support the creation of inclusive digital content:

• Ally – for Elearning content.
• Siteimprove – for websites (browser extension available for most browsers).

To see what resources are available for specific tools, visit and review the tools on the relevant creating accessible content pages.

The expectation by the federal government and WMU administration is that we achieve 100% compliance by April 24, 2026. Note that there are exceptions to the compliance requirement, such as archived materials.  

If 100% compliance is not achieved on or before April 24, 2026, WMU must continue working diligently toward full compliance.  We must at all times be able to demonstrate WMU’s commitment to digital accessibility as well as provide evidence of University-wide clear and consistent progress toward that goal.

Start small:  

• If you manage Elearning content, begin there.
• If you manage department webpages, start with the website.
• Make gradual improvements and document progress.
• Reach out for support. Do you need specific department training? We have dedicated teams across campus who can work directly with you. Visit the Training digital accessibility page to see training opportunities.