Feb. 18, 2026

Update on Digital Accessibility

As the spring semester has progressed and departments on campus have continued to strengthen the accessibility of their services, programs and coursework to support student success, equity and inclusion, there have been questions about digital accessibility and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This message aims to answer those questions and guide you to additional information.

Why focus on this now?

The federal government issued new regulations in 2024 during the prior presidential administration. These regulations establish specific requirements and technical standards, WCAG 2.1, for ensuring that services, programs and activities offered by state and local government entities, including colleges and universities, are accessible to the public through web and mobile applications.

This rule is not specific to NIU. Colleges and universities across the nation are required to comply and are engaging in thoughtful conversations and initiatives to meet this standard. This work is occurring at a time when higher education institutions are facing broad challenges and short on resources. While not specific to NIU, this new regulation is aligned with the university’s mission, vision and values, and reflected in goal 3 of the SEM 3.0 Plan. Digital accessibility directly promotes student success, facilitates belonging and ensures that every student has access to meaningful opportunities.

What must be changed and by when? Does it include all course materials? Is it anything students, employees or the public may access?

The rule applies to all web and mobile application content. This includes how the university displays information on the website, course materials in Blackboard, and software and digital tools the university uses to carry out our mission and operations. The requirement extends beyond student access and applies to faculty, staff and the public at large.

Compliance with this new rule will not happen overnight as it will take time to learn and use tools to assist with accessibility. The university’s first priority is new content with the largest impact. The goal is for web content and mobile apps to become more accessible each semester.

Who is responsible for updating content, and what resources are available? Is this a faculty responsibility, an administrative responsibility or joint responsibility?

The university understands this may be a significant change for some and second nature for others. To support faculty and staff in learning how to make their course content and digital interactions accessible, the Center for Teaching and Learning is offering trainings on digital accessibility. These sessions include a focus on Blackboard, Microsoft Word and multimedia.

In addition to these offerings, the university is exploring the feasibility of additional resources to provide individual assistance with content and document accessibility. The Accessibility at NIU webpage will be updated to share this information. This webpage also provides robust information about accessibility, such as how to create an accessible curriculum vitae (CV), syllabus and webpage.

If faculty or staff have additional questions related digital accessibility, would like additional information on how they can incorporate the requirements and standards into the work they perform, or have strategies and successes to share, they are encouraged to contact the Digital Accessibility Steering Committee at accessibility@niu.edu.