Printed on: 04/17/2025. Please go to policy.umn.edu for the most current version of the document.
University of Minnesota  Administrative Policy

Accessibility of Digital Content and Information Technology

This policy will take effect and be enforceable on April 24, 2026. In the meantime, University units should work to ensure that their digital content and information technology meets the accessibility standard set by the policy by the April 24, 2026 implementation date. Until then the standards described in Administrative Policy: Accessibility of Information Technology are in effect.

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Policy Statement

The University of Minnesota is committed to providing accessible digital content and information technology to all individuals participating in its services, programs, and activities. Digital accessibility is the shared responsibility of the entire University community. This policy applies to all University of Minnesota staff, faculty, and agents who create, develop, maintain, or procure digital content and information technology on behalf of the University (“responsible individuals or units”).

Accessibility Standard

To meet the accessibility standards required by this policy, responsible individuals or units must ensure that digital content and information technology:

  • meets the standards established in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA;
  • is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for users with disabilities; and
  • allows disabled individuals to independently, privately, and equitably access the same information, engage in the same interactions, and conduct the same transactions within the same timeframe, and with substantially equivalent ease of use, as people without disabilities. 

Exemptions

Digital content and information technology is not required to meet the above-described accessibility standard in the limited circumstances set forth in the Administrative Procedure: Exemptions from Accessibility Standard Requirements for Certain Digital Content and Information Technology. In those circumstances, the responsible individuals or units must, upon receipt of a request from an individual who cannot access the content due to disability, provide a means of effective communication, an accessible alternative format, or an equally effective accommodation to enable equitable access to the digital content and information technology.

Reason for Policy

To implement Board of Regents Policy: Disability Resources and comply with applicable laws.

This policy aims to ensure that the University’s digital content and information technology is accessible to the widest possible audience and that the University is responsive to the needs of the broad community of people who are disabled by restrictive environments and technologies.

This policy enhances access and reduces barriers for University members, supports student and employee success, reduces the need for and costs of required retroactive accommodations, and ensures compliance with laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other applicable state and federal laws.

Contacts

SubjectContactPhoneEmail
Primary ContactKhaled Musa612-624-5550[email protected]
Policy QuestionsOffice for Digital Accessibility (ODA) [email protected]
Technical QuestionsOffice of Information Technology612-301-4357 (1-HELP)[email protected]
Purchasing QuestionsPurchasing Services612-624-2828[email protected]
Inaccessible Web PagesContact person listed on website  

Additional Support

For additional support, please contact your web and email digital accessibility coordinator (WEDAC), academic digital accessibility liaison (ADAL) for course-related questions, or the Office for Digital Accessibility.

Responsible Individuals
Responsible Officer Policy Owner Primary Contact
  • Vice President, Office for Equity and Diversity
  • Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Office of Information Technology
  • Senior Director - OIT Application Development
  • Associate Vice President, Office for Equity and Diversity
  • Khaled Musa
    Director, Office of Digital Accessibility

Definitions

Digital content and information technology
Digital content and information technology consists of the following items when used in the context of University services, programs, or activities: 1) web-based documents, media, communications, and other information; and 2) web-based and mobile applications. 

The following items are not considered to be digital content and information technology under this Policy: 1) content such as individual student websites that are hosted by the University but not used in University programs and activities; 2) single-instance, specialized software or individual productivity web-based content or mobile applications purchased only for individual use by the requestor; and 3) tools that are fully automated, run in the background, and do not require human interaction after set-up.

Fundamental Alteration
A change so significant that it affects the essential nature or function of a University service, program, or activity.
Undue Financial or Administrative Burden
A significant disruption or expense to the University, considering the resources of the University as a whole. 
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
A series of standards for digital accessibility developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The University adopts the AA level of the WCAG 2.1.

Responsibilities

This Policy recognizes that digital accessibility is a shared responsibility of all University units and community members who develop, maintain, or procure digital content and information technology.

Senior Leadership
Promote awareness of this Policy. Assign responsibility for ensuring that digital content and information technology within their jurisdictions is accessible.
Office of Equity and Diversity (OED)
Promote awareness of this Policy. Champion efforts for inclusion of disabled people through barrier removal and offering equal opportunity in the digital space. Monitor progress of Policy implementation.
Office of Information Technology (OIT)
Promote awareness of this Policy. Provide accessibility software tools for OIT-managed applications, provide technical support for the use of these tools, and promote the accessibility of digital content and information technology in consultation with the Office for Digital Accessibility (ODA).
Purchasing Services
Establish procedures to ensure that University specifications for technology purchases include specifications for accessibility when relevant.
Responsible Individuals and Units
Responsible individuals and units are University of Minnesota staff, faculty, agents, or units who create, develop, maintain, or procure digital content and information technology on behalf of the University. Responsible individuals and units must ensure that the digital content and information technology and platforms within their purview meet the accessibility standards set forth in this Policy in consultation with the ODA.
Office for Digital Accessibility (ODA)
Work alongside all departments to foster digital accessibility. Support policy compliance through cooperative monitoring, and offer training, guidance, and regular accessibility assessments to ensure that accessibility is embedded in all practices. Oversee the University’s process for requesting and granting exemptions from the Policy requirements and grant exemptions as appropriate.
ADA Coordinator
Coordinate the University’s efforts to comply with federal laws and regulations and University policies related to digital accessibility in collaboration with the Office for Digital Accessibility. Coordinate a grievance process for the review and resolution of complaints that the Policy’s accessibility standard has not been met.
Campus Disability Resources Units
Promote awareness of this Policy and respond to individualized requests for access and accommodations. Work in collaboration with the ODA to advance accessibility and reduce barriers in the digital space.
University Marketing and Communications
Promote awareness of this Policy and digital accessibility requirements. Provide a University-supported accessible web theme and accessibility templates in collaboration with OIT. Provide training and technical support for use of the web theme.

Related Information

Related Policies:

Resources

Services and tools

Web accessibility reference documents

History

Effective:
April 2025 - Comprehensive Review. This is a rewrite of the current policy. The primary change is the addition of a policy requirement that digital content and information technology meet a technical standard that is newly required by law.  Other changes include inserting a guiding principles section, providing clarification on roles and responsibilities given the creation of the Office for Digital Accessibility, and language updates to align with current legal guidance. In April 2024, the Department of Justice issued a new rule to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which set a technical standard for digital content and information technology that the University must comply with.
Equal opportunity to the services, programs, and activities offered by the institution include the digital environment. We value disability as part of human diversity. Ensuring accessibility for digital content and information technology supports inclusion since we are implementing with a proactive accessibility-first approach. This allows disabled people to readily access the same information, engage in the same interactions, and conduct the same transactions as nondisabled people in the digital environment. In the rewriting process for this policy, we centered full participation of disabled people.