IntegrityStar, March 2026 edition
In each IntegrityStar edition, we highlight frequently asked questions. In this edition we cover Q&As on digital accessibility. Additional questions can be directed to the Digital Accessibility Lab at digitalaccessibility@ucf.edu.
About the Digital Accessibility Lab
What does the Digital Accessibility Lab do?
The Lab provides evaluation, remediation, and consultation services to ensure that documents, websites, videos, and other digital content meet accessibility standards, federal regulations, and UCF policy. The Lab helps faculty, staff, students, and departments create inclusive and compliant digital materials.
Who can use the Lab’s services?
All UCF faculty, staff, and students are welcome to submit content or schedule support sessions. Faculty and staff may submit a service request, students may email digitalaccessibility@ucf.edu for support.
Accessibility Issues & Content Support
What types of digital content can the Lab review or remediate?
Documents (PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, EPUB), websites, web course content, mobile content, images/graphics, forms, videos, and multimedia.
What are some accessibility issues the Lab helps identify or fix?
Within documents (DOCX, PDF, PPT, XLSX, EPUB):
- Incorrect reading order
- Poor color contrast and color to convey meaning
- Missing or incorrect heading structure
- Missing image alt text
- Improper table formatting
- Forms without labels or keyboard access
Within Websites and Web Course Material:
- Missing or incorrect heading structure
- Poor color contrast and color to convey meaning
- Missing image alt text
- Missing Aria Labels
- Inappropriate Web Semantics
Multimedia Content (Videos, Audio, and Animations):
- Poor color contrast and color to convey meaning
- Captioning and Transcripts
- Audio Descriptions
Service Requests
What services can I request, and how long do they take?
Evaluation (1–3 business days): Review with a report of issues and recommendations
Remediation (2–10 business days): Fixing accessibility barriers (longer for large projects)
Consultation (scheduled within 2–4 business days): Guidance, training, and process improvement
Request forms for UCF faculty and staff are available for each service type. Students can email digitalaccessibility@ucf.edu for support.
WCAG 2.1 AA Federal Compliance (Effective April 24, 2026)
What is changing on April 24, 2026?
New federal regulations under ADA Title II require public entities, including universities, to make web content, mobile apps, and digital documents compliant with WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA. This includes websites, course materials, PDFs, social media posts, videos, forms, and online services.
View ALL success criteria for WCAG 2.1 AA
View NEW success criteria introduced in WCAG 2.1 AA
What challenges might UCF teams face in meeting WCAG 2.1 AA?
- Complex PDFs or scanned documents requiring tagging and structural fixes
- Captioning demands, especially for live or previously uncaptioned videos
- Ensuring social media, websites, and web course content accessibility
- Vendor and third-party platform compliance
- Training needs for faculty and staff unfamiliar with WCAG 2.1AA standards
What content is required to be accessible under the WCAG 2.1 AA?
- Websites and web applications
- PDF, Word, PowerPoint, and spreadsheet documents
- Emails
- Learning materials and course content
- Mobile apps
- Social media posts from official accounts
- Third-party digital platforms provided through contracts
Are there any exceptions to the new rules?
Exceptions are limited and include archived content, some pre-existing documents, and third-party content not posted through a contractual relationship. However, these exceptions have very specific conditions.
View conditions for exceptions
What happens if UCF does not comply with the new requirements?
Non-compliance may result in:
- Federal investigations
- Legal actions or complaints
- Required corrective action plans
- Financial penalties or settlements
- Significant reputational damage
Getting Help
How can the Digital Accessibility Lab help us prepare for compliance?
The Lab can:
- Conduct accessibility evaluations
- Remediate documents, websites, and media
- Provide training and one-on-one consultations
- Help departments build accessible workflows and templates
- Support captioning and video accessibility requirements
Where do I start if I’m new to accessibility?
Start by attending digital accessibility trainings to better understand what is expected and best practice tips. If you have or are creating digital content, you can view best practice guides created by UCF accessibility professionals, view our services to submit a request to evaluate or remediate your content, or schedule consultations. The Lab will help you understand issues, prioritize content, and build a plan for accessible, compliant materials.