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.

Though the UF Health web templates require the use of alt text when uploading any media, such as photos, it is imperative to use alt text appropriately to provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content. 

Be descriptive; the “alt” text substitutes for the ability to view images. For example, when an image indicates an action, the action must be described in the text. The types of non-text elements requiring actual text descriptions are limited to those elements that provide information required for comprehension of content or those used to facilitate navigation. For recommendations of alt text, upload an image to IT’s Alt-Text Generator.

• Describe what the image is conveying, or what’s going on in the picture. This is different from a caption.
• If your image contains text, such as words on a sign, it’s best to include the text from the image in the alt text so website visitors can access the information. Without alt text, a screen reader will not know what an image is depicting. 

Ensure links make sense out of context; i.e. if the link text is read by itself, will the user understand where the link goes? Screen reader users sometimes choose to tab through the content of a webpage and only read the links. In these cases, links with phrases such as “click here” and “more” contain no textual clues as to what type of information the link connects to. A more descriptive link gives this crucial information. For example, use “View more information about melanoma” as your link text rather than just “More information.”

All video and audio content must have captioning for speech; please ensure captioning is correct.

Without captions, videos are inaccessible to people who may be deaf or hard of hearing, or who are not native English speakers. Add captions to videos and include a transcript link for visitors to read audio files.  

Do not rely on color alone to convey meaning. The use of color can enhance comprehension; however, that information may not be visible to a person who is colorblind and will be unavailable to screen reader users.

WebAIM has an easy-to-use resource to check color contrast.

Search engines use the HTML tag for headers to categorize content on a page and to group paragraphs into logical blocks of content they relate with the header they follow. HTML allows for six levels of headers, from <h1> to <h6>, with <h1> being considered a page title, and each subsequent heading tag less relevant (use H2 for section headings, followed by H3 for subtopics within each section). It is important to use these tags consistently and in a deprecating order to maximize a search engine’s categorization of your page. In addition, studies found that 71% of screen reader users navigate primarily by headings.

Use heading tags provided with the UF Health templates instead of editing font style and size. Eg., use H2 instead of bold, 16 px.

UF Health Web Services does not recommend using PDFs on your website, as it is difficult to ensure they are accessible. Think carefully about whether the information on your site needs to exist as a PDF. For example, a list of policies for a program can be written out as text on a webpage. The webpage can also be printed directly from the browser. If it is absolutely necessary to include a document on your website, Web Services recommends uploading an accessible Microsoft Word document in place of a PDF.

Sometimes people using screen-reading devices encounter difficulty reading documents directly in PDF format, unless they have an accessibility plug-in installed on their system along with Adobe Acrobat Reader. This plug-in is available at no cost from Adobe. 

For converting PDF to HTML or text, Adobe also has online PDF Conversion tools. 

PowerPoint slides are often reused as lecture decks, exported PDFs, and video recordings. If slides are not accessible, students using screen readers, captions/transcripts, keyboard navigation, or zoom may miss key instructional content. Building accessibility into slides early prevents downstream remediation and improves usability for all learners.

Download UF’s branded PowerPoint template that has been updated to meet accessibility standards. Faculty, staff and students who download and use the template are responsible for ensuring the content they add is accessible.

Common Accessibility Issues
Faculty should check for these high-impact issues before sharing slides for upload or conversion

• Incorrect reading order (screen readers read objects out of sequence)

• Missing alt text for images, charts, and graphics

• Meaning conveyed by color alone (e.g., “items in red are required”)

• Poor color contrast between text and background

• Missing or duplicate slide titles

PowerPoint accessibility checklist

Before sending slides to your instructional designer:

• Run Accessibility Checker and resolve issues.
• Make sure every slide has a unique title.
• Ensure informative images have alt text; complex visuals have notes/description.
• Confirm color is never the only cue.
• Check that contrast is strong and readable.
• Verify reading order (Selection Pane).

This UFIT Accessibility in 5 video provides specific details on how to tackle these issues.

Microsoft Word documents are often source files for PDFs, handouts, and downloadable course materials. If Word documents are not accessible, accessibility issues will carry forward into PDFs and other formats. Creating accessible Word documents ensures students using screen readers, keyboard navigation, or high zoom can access course content effectively.

Common Accessibility Issues in Word

• Missing document title and language settings

• Missing alt text for images, charts, and graphics

• Improper or missing heading structure

• Meaning conveyed by color alone

• Poor color contrast

• Inaccessible lists or tables

Microsoft Word accessibility checklist

• Run Accessibility Checker and resolve issues.
• Apply proper heading structure.
• Add alt text for informative images.
• Ensure color is not used as the only cue.
• Include sufficient color contrast throughout.
• Create lists and tables with built-in tools.
• Set document title and language.

View this page from UF for more information and tips.