ADA Compliance Resources

All UF websites, web-based applications, and social media content must meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level A and AA by April 26, 2027, in accordance with the U.S. Department of Justice’s updated Title II ADA regulations and UF’s Electronic Information Technology and Communications Accessibility (EITCA) Policy.

The requirements apply to all UF-related digital content, including public-facing and internal websites, instructional and Canvas content, online forms, social media accounts, web-based tools and externally hosted sites used to promote UF work (such as faculty lab websites), regardless of platform or domain.

UF and UF Health templates include many built-in accessibility features, but content creators are still responsible for maintaining compliance. This includes adding appropriate alt text, using proper headings, ensuring descriptive links, captioning videos and avoiding accessibility issues such as relying on color alone to convey meaning.

There are seven exceptions to website and mobile accessibility requirements, but access must still be provided as described elsewhere.

Exceptions include:

• Archived content created or reproduced before April 26, 2027, kept only for reference and not updated (e.g., previous semester Canvas sites).
• Content posted by third parties (unless contracted or employed by UF).
• Changes that would fundamentally alter services, as determined by UF’s ADA Coordinator.
• Individualized, password-protected documents such as PDFs or presentations about a specific person.
• Preexisting documents (like PDFs or slides) made public before compliance rules, unless actively used for core services or participation.
• Social media content posted before April 26, 2027.
• Situations where meeting accessibility requirements would cause undue financial or administrative burden, as determined by UF’s ADA Coordinator.

For more information regarding exceptions, please visit the Electronic Information Technology and Communication Accessibility policy. 

High-impact issues include missing or poor-quality alt text, incorrect heading structure, non-descriptive link text, insufficient color contrast, inaccessible PDFs and missing or inaccurate video captions or audio transcripts. Addressing these items first can significantly improve accessibility.

Federal law requires that reasonable accommodations must be made in the instructional process in order to ensure equal educational opportunities for individuals with disabilities. To meet this requirement, UF has implemented the process for students to formally alert instructors of their accommodation needs.

To replace PDFs and Word Documents, faculty must use Simple Syllabus for the creation of current and future course syllabi.

Learn more on the Accessibility at UF website, including specific tips on accessibility through Canvas.

Web pages should be your “go-to” method of adding content to your site to provide the best user experience. PDFs and other downloadable files should only be used if no other option is available. If a PDF or Microsoft Office file is the only means to post your content, you must make sure they are accessible.

All social media videos must have accurate captions, images and graphics must include alternative text, hashtags should use CamelCase, sufficient color contrast must be maintained and emojis should not replace words. Content that lacks required alt text cannot be reshared on UF social media channels.

Follow these social media-specific tips to ensure the content you’re posting and sharing is accessible to all audiences.