Digital Accessibility FAQs

Digital accessibility means that all users — including those with disabilities — can perceive, understand, navigate and interact with digital content.

At SUNY institutions, digital accessibility means ensuring digital content meets Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level A and AA standards wherever possible. WCAG is the recognized international standard for accessible digital content.

Digital accessibility is a shared responsibility and an ongoing process at UAlbany. The goal is not perfection but instead ensuring that all users can access digital content in a timely and equitable way.

Learn more about UAlbany’s commitment to digital accessibility. 

• Websites
• Digital documents and flyers
• Videos and audio files
• Social media
• Online forms
• Emails
• Course materials
• Third‑party apps, portals and systems (such as Brightspace, EAB Navigate, PeopleSoft, etc.) 

Digital accessibility is:

• A necessity for some and beneficial for all — including users with temporary or permanent disabilities, multi-lingual users and mobile users  
• A legal requirement
• A commitment to inclusive excellence
• A risk-reduction practice for the institution

Accessibility is not optional when digital content is required to:

• Access education
• Perform job duties
• Receive services
• Meet deadlines

These standards help ensure digital content is usable by people who rely on assistive technologies. 

Digital accessibility is a reflection of who we are at UAlbany.

As a public institution committed to inclusive excellence and global engagement, inaccessible content is not just a technical failure; it is a barrier. And when digital content excludes someone, it sends a message that contradicts our core values.

Beyond our mission, UAlbany has legal obligations as a recipient of federal and state funding and is subject to oversight by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR).  

Accessibility complaints can trigger formal OCR investigations, corrective action agreements and in serious cases, risk to federal funding.

When accessibility gaps are identified, the University's priority is remediation and support — not punishment. Departments are expected to:

• Respond promptly to reported barriers
• Provide interim alternative access while a fix is in development
• Engage partner offices (ITS, Procurement Services, CATLOE, Web Services, Marketing Services, etc.) when the issue is beyond their capacity to solve alone
• Document progress toward remediation

Persistent or unaddressed accessibility gaps (particularly those affecting access to education, employment or required services) may require escalation and could expose the University to formal complaints or legal action.

UAlbany’s goal is to create and maintain an environment where everyone — regardless of ability, language or how they access technology — can fully participate in campus life. Accessibility is how we build that. 

Assistive technology is software and hardware that people with disabilities use to improve their interaction with the digital content.

Examples include screen readers, keyboard navigation, screen magnification, mouth sticks, captions, transcripts and more.

Learn about the diversity of disability and the tools and techniques disabled people use to access digital content.
 

Screen readers

A screen reader is a software program that allows users to read what is on the screen by listening to synthetic speech and/or using Braille.  

Many people use screen readers to help them perceive, operate and understand digital content. Examples include:  

• Users with sight-related disabilities (such as blindness or low-vision)
• Users with cognitive disabilities (such as dyslexia or ADHD)
• Users with a temporary or permanent physical disability (such as a broken hand or ALS)

Watch a blind individual use a screen reader to navigate a webpage.
 

Keyboard accessibility

Keyboard accessibility means that all content, functionalities and navigation can be fully operable using only a keyboard.  

Keyboard accessibility is crucial for:

• People with motor disabilities or temporary injuries that make it difficult for them to use a computer mouse or touchscreen
• People who use on screen readers or alternative input tools, such as switch devices or sip-and-puff software

Try the No Mouse Challenge to see if your digital content is keyboard navigable.

Accommodation means responding to individual needs when barriers exist, while accessibility means designing content so people don’t need to ask for help.

Both are required, but accessibility reduces the need for accommodation.

UAlbany is currently shifting from an accommodation approach, in which content would be made accessible upon request, to an accessibility approach, in which content is made accessible by default.

As a SUNY institution, the University is required to comply with:

• Federal disability nondiscrimination laws, including:
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 
  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
• SUNY and New York State accessibility requirements, including:  
  • SUNY’s Electronic & Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility Policy
  • New York State Executive Law, Chapter 18, Article 7, Section 170-F
  • New York State Human Rights Law (Executive Law Section 296)

Because UAlbany receives federal and state funding for academic, research and health programs, these requirements apply broadly across our digital environment.

Digital content at UAlbany must meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level A and AA standards wherever possible. WCAG is the recognized international standard for accessible digital content.
 

Four Principles of Accessibility

The WCAG success criteria are organized around the following four principles, which lay the foundation necessary for anyone to access and use web content:

• Perceivable
• Operable
• Understandable
• Robust

Users must be able to perceive, operate and understand not only the information being presented but also the user interface used to access the information.

Additionally, the digital content must be robust enough that users can access it using a diverse range of evolving assistive technologies.

Without all four principles in place, disabled users cannot use the digital content.

Learn more about the four principles of digital accessibility and other essential components of digital accessibility. 

No, accessibility remediation tasks should be prioritized based on impact and risk. Focus first on:

• Student‑facing or public‑facing content
• Core operational documents (forms, guidance, handbooks)
• Content that is updated frequently  
• Information required for access to services and programming
• The least accessible content

Documenting an inventory of your department’s digital content and good faith progress is important.

Not sure where to start? Check out the University's free training opportunities and digital accessibility guides.

If content is not yet fully accessible:

• Provide an equally effective alternative access
• Respond promptly to accommodation requests
• Document known limitations
• Develop a remediation plan

Accessibility issues should never delay access to required services. 

Keep these key basics in mind:

• Proper headings (not just bold text)
• Meaningful link text
• Alternative text for images
• Tables with headers, alt text and no merged cells
• Logical reading order
• Sufficient color contrast

Review these resources for detailed information:

• Digital Accessibility Quick Guide
• Training Opportunities
• Web Document Accessibility Guides
• Course Material Accessibility Guides

To help you gauge a document’s accessibility, use a built-in accessibility checker:

• Microsoft files: Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other Microsoft software have a built-in Microsoft Accessibility Check feature.  
• PDF files: Faculty and staff can request free access to Adobe Acrobat Pro to use the Adobe Accessibility Check feature.

Note: Accessibility checkers only catch about 30 to 40% of issues. We recommend completing accessibility training to help you catch the remainder. 

Yes, but only if they are accessible. Many PDFs are not accessible by default and require remediation.

Wherever possible, use other file formats that are easier to make accessible (such as webpages, Word documents or PowerPoint slides). You can even protect Microsoft files from editing, if need be.

If a PDF is necessary:  

• Build the base document with accessibility in mind
• Use built-in accessibility checkers before and after exporting the file to PDF
• Avoid scanning documents to create PDFs

Review these resources for detailed information:

• Digital Accessibility Quick Guide
• Training Opportunities
• Web Document Accessibility Guides
• Course Material Accessibility Guides

UAlbany users can create web forms using University-supported technology, such as Microsoft Forms, Jotform and Qualtrics.

Accessible web forms:

• Have labels for every field
• Can be completed using a keyboard
• Clearly identify required fields
• Provide accessible error messages
• Give confirmation when submitted 

Since web forms are easier to make fully accessible than PDF forms, they are a preferred method for most uses. PDF forms must also have field labels, be keyboard navigable and meet other standard PDF accessibility requirements. 

Tables are excellent tools for displaying data sets. To be accessible to all users, tables should have three things: simple structure, designated headers and alt text.

Use these tips to get started:

• Always create a real table. If you use a photo or screenshot of a table, a screen reader will treat it like an image, not a data set.
• Don't use tables to control layout or page design. Tables can disturb the reading order of a document or webpage.
• Don’t merge the cells. Merged cells are made by combining two or more adjacent cells horizontally and/or vertically.
• Keep your table design simple. If your data set is complex, split it up into multiple tables. Tables should have a one-to-one relationship between headers and data.
• Use only one column header and/or one row header per table. Each table must have at least one header (row or column), though you can also designate one of each if it makes sense for your table.
• Add alternative text to each table. Alt text is always important but is especially critical on pages with multiple tables, so a user with a screen reader can distinguish one table from another.

These features will ensure that all users, including those who rely on screen readers, can access your tables. 

Captions

Captions are synchronized, on-screen text that represents the audio content of a video or multimedia presentation, including spoken dialogue, speaker identification and relevant non-speech sounds such as music or sound effects.  

Captions make video content accessible to viewers who are Deaf or hard of hearing and benefit all users in sound-sensitive environments. 

All videos required for learning, training or work must have accurate and synchronized captions. Captions are strongly recommended for informational or optional videos.

If you use auto-captioning, you must review and correct the captions to ensure accuracy.

If captions are not feasible, the video must be accompanied by an accurate transcript instead.
 

Transcripts

Transcripts are a text-based version of all audio content in a video or audio recording, including spoken dialogue, speaker identification and relevant non-speech sounds such as music or sound effects.  

Unlike captions, transcripts are a standalone document rather than synchronized with media playback.  

Transcripts make audio and video content accessible to people who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or Deafblind and benefit all users who prefer to read, search or reference content at their own pace. 

All audio-only content (such as podcasts) required for learning, training or work must be accompanied by an accurate transcript. Transcripts are strongly recommended for informational or optional audio.

If you use auto-transcription, you must review and correct the transcript to ensure accuracy.

Transcripts are also helpful for searching and studying. 

Video descriptions, often called audio descriptions, help make the content accessible to people who cannot see the video itself (such as individuals who are blind or have low vision) by providing narration of key visual elements during natural pauses in dialogue or other audio.

These descriptions should be used whenever pre-recorded video content includes important visual information that is not conveyed through the main audio track alone.  

Specifically, video descriptions are required when:

• The video contains essential visual information that is necessary to understand the content or context (such as actions, scene changes, on-screen text, facial expressions, etc.).
• The video is pre-recorded and includes synchronized media (such as lectures, presentations, training videos, etc.).
  • Live video content requires captions but not necessarily audio description, although it is encouraged when feasible. 

A third-party tool is any digital platform, software or other service UAlbany uses that is owned by an external entity.  

Some third-party tools are free, while others require a contract, license or fee. Examples include Brightspace, Microsoft 365, EAB Navigate, Jotform, Instagram, Canva, etc.

When a third-party tool is used for required tasks (such as learning, working and training, the tool itself and the content created/shared using the tool must be accessible. 

Departments are responsible for:

• Identifying any third‑party tools they already use
• Requesting accessibility documentation — such as an Accessibility Compliance Report (ACR), a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) or another method — for all new and existing department-owned third-party tools 
• Review areas on the documentation where accessibility is not fully supported and determine the impact on the user experience.
• Remediating accessibility issues they can control
• Ensuring accessible alternatives or accommodations exist
• Working with ITS and Procurement Services to ensure new third-party tools are accessible

Departments and individuals using third-party tools are also expected to create and share accessible content. (For example, a staff member using Canva to create a digital flyer for an event must ensure the flyer is accessible.) 

If platform-level accessibility issues are identified, the department should work with ITS, Procurement Services and UAlbany’s Electronic & Information Accessibility Officer to determine appropriate next steps. Departments are not expected to fix vendor code themselves.

In some cases, an Equally Acceptable Alternative Action Plan (EAAP) may be required, which will include departmental responsibilities to create additional pathways to ensure accessibility for all types of users.

Before signing any new contract or renewing a license, departments should request current documentation and loop in ITS and Procurement Services.

A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) or an Accessibility Compliance Report (ACR) is a document where a vendor explains how their product meets and supports accessibility standards.

VPATs and ACRs:

• Help our institution assess risk associated with the vendor’s product or service
• Do not guarantee full accessibility
• Should be reviewed with ITS and/or Procurement Services
• Should be no more than 18 months older than the tool’s latest update

However, just because an ACR or VPAT states that a platform fully supports accessibility standards does not mean that it will automatically generate accessible content. Content creators are still responsible for following the principles of accessibility.