Accessible Digital Content
Providing accessible digital content is more than a legal requirement – it’s an important part of promoting equity at NIU. When digital content is accessible to people with disabilities, it’s often easier for everyone to understand and use.
Digital content refers to anything you can access through a web browser. In addition to websites, online documents, mobile apps and third-party applications, it encompasses all course-related materials, including those behind a login, such as Blackboard.
In addition to this overview of digital content accessibility, we also provide information on:
- Digital documents
- Teaching materials
- Frequently asked questions about digital content
Creating Accessible Content
Web strategy and support (the web team) ensures that NIU’s website templates adhere to legal requirements and current best practices related to accessibility. The web team also creates accessible online content and ensures that online content created by others across campus is accessible. Learn more about web content development at NIU.
Top Tips for Accessible Content
Follow these tips to improve the accessibility of content intended for the NIU website or digital distribution:
- Give the document or webpage a unique, meaningful title.
- Use headings to give the content structure.
- Use bullet points to break up text.
- Use unique, descriptive link text.
- Create transcripts for audio and video content (caption video content as well).
- Provide alternative (alt) text and/or captions for images and charts (not needed for images that are solely decorative).
- Include a header row on tables.
- Do not rely on color alone to indicate meaning.
- Use the WebAim contrast checker to ensure that colors have proper contrast with the background.
Legal Requirements
NIU must comply with the federal government’s final ruling on Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ruling says our digital content must meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, AA, with some exceptions.
Exceptions
Some digital content is exempt from meeting the standards defined in WCAG 2.1, AA. Refer to the fact sheet on the final ruling on Title II of the ADA for complete information on exceptions. Keep in mind that even if content is exempt, an accessible version still needs to be provided upon request.
Web content doesn’t need to meet WCAG 2.1, AA if it meets all of the following conditions:
- Was created or reproduces content that was created before April 24, 2026
- Is kept only for reference (not currently in use)
- Is kept in a specific area for archived content
- Has not been changed since it was archived
A document does not need to meet WCAG 2.1, AA if it is a word-processing, presentation, PDF or spreadsheet file that was available on the NIU website or mobile app before April 24, 2026. However, if the document is currently in use, the exception does not apply.
Third-party platforms and tools used by NIU must meet WCAG 2.1, AA. However, content posted by a third party that does not relate to a contractual, licensing or other arrangement with NIU does not need to meet WCAG 2.1, AA.
A document does not need to meet WCAG 2.1, AA if it meets all of the following conditions:
- Is a word-processing, presentation, PDF or spreadsheet file
- Is about a specific person, property or account
- Is password-protected or otherwise secured
Social media posts made by an NIU account before April 24, 2026, do not need to meet WCAG 2.1, AA.
An exception to meeting WCAG 2.1, AA can be made when doing so would result in significant changes to the nature of a service or program. This determination involves considering a program’s goals/operations and the feasibility of other approaches that could improve accessibility without changing its core function.
An exception to meeting WCAG 2.1, AA can be made when doing so would result in excessive financial or administrative costs. This determination must consider all available resources, as well as costs, benefits and alternative approaches.