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Accessibility at the UW

Category: Partners

New Procurement Standards: What You Need to Know 

Post categories: Accessibility Procurement

In support of the University of Washington’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion, we want to inform you of the University’s outreach to technology vendors, suppliers, and contractors regarding digital accessibility requirements and our institutional compliance plans.
Recent regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services require that all public institutions, including universities, achieve compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards by April 24, 2026. While these new regulations apply directly to the University, they also include the digital tools and services we use through third-party vendors. This means that the University is only able to continue using products from vendors who align with these accessibility standards.
On February 18, 2025, Andreas Bohman, Vice President & CIO of UW Information Technology, sent an email to all UW vendors, suppliers, and contractors, thanking them for their ongoing partnership in ensuring the UW is compliant with federal digital accessibility requirements. The full text of the ADA Digital Accessibility letter is available on the Procurement Services website, as is an FAQ on Digital Accessibility.
To meet these expectations, UW has asked all vendors to prepare an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) for each product or service by July 1, 2025. If a product has accessibility gaps, vendors are also expected to provide an accessibility roadmap.

Why this matters to you

If your department uses any third-party tools, platforms, or services in teaching, research, administration, or student support, please ensure that these vendors are aware of UW’s accessibility requirements. This will help avoid potential disruptions in service as we align with federal mandates.

Updates to Resources

Procurement Services, UW-IT Accessible Technology Services, and UW Office of the ADA Coordinator have collaborated to update three key resources related to accessibility in procurement so they all reflect the new ADA requirements:

University Libraries: Support for Accessible Design

Post categories: Digital Accessibility UW Libraries

In a recent conversation with University Libraries staff, we learned from Perry Yee and Elliott Stevens how their team is helping the UW community build a culture of digital accessibility and Universal Design through collaboration and practical training. 
 
The Accessibility Working Group (AWG) was founded in 2017 and has expanded in the years to include three types of regular meetings: a Community of Practice (CoP) for general conversations, a speaker series that includes voices from inside and outside the UW, and subcommittees that focus on accessibility training, communications, web pages, facilities, and e-resource compliance.

The focus for each subcommittee is as follows:

  • Training: Delivery of accessibility training for library staff
  • Communications: Keeps library staff informed about accessibility efforts
  • Web pages: Updates web pages about the libraries’ accessibility work
  • Facilities: Conducts audits of library branches to check them for ADA compliance
  • E-resource Compliance: Inspection of databases and e-reading platforms for accessibility

One standout initiative is the “Quick Tips” workshop series—bite-sized, 30-minute training sessions focused on practical topics like accessibility for documents, presentations, email, and social media. Designed for library staff, these sessions offer micro-learning and hands-on practice in a low-pressure setting. What started as internal workshops has since evolved into the Quick Tips for Accessibility Pressbook, a publicly available resource that helps support accessibility learning within UW and beyond.

“It’s a pretty practical book,” said Perry Yee. “You can implement these things as you go. It’s great for on-boarding or for library workers who don’t have access to this type of training.”

In addition to supporting working groups and hands-on training, staff members also coordinate podcast listening sessions. When new episodes of the AccessUW podcast are released, they host informal group discussions afterwards in which participants reflect on the themes and challenges discussed—creating a valuable space for dialogue and connection.

Stevens noted that while the initial focus of these efforts has been on UW Libraries staff, there’s a broader vision at play. “In the future, the Pressbook could be adapted more for folks outside UW,” he said, adding that the Accessibility Working Group is continually thinking about how to scale its impact.

Together, these initiatives show how a combination of practical tools, open conversation, and thoughtful design can foster a deeper commitment to digital accessibility—not just as a compliance measure, but as a shared value.

“It’s about holding space,” Yee said. “When we do, the conversations that happen are often really enlightening.”

Explore the Pressbook: Quick Tips for Accessibility

Interview by Melissa Albin (UW-IT Communications) for Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Spotlight on faculty: Amy J. Ko

Post categories: Accessibility Instructional Accessibility Partners

Amy J. KoTo kick off a new series spotlighting digital accessibility experts and champions at the University of Washington, we spoke with Amy J. Ko, a professor at UW’s Information School, adjunct professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, and a member of the Digital Accessibility Initiative’s Innovation & Research Action Team.

Her research encompasses human-computer interaction, computing education, and accessibility. She has made significant contributions towards integration of accessibility into computing education, notably co-editing the open-source book “Teaching Accessible Computing.” She also developed Wordplay, an educational programming language for creating accessible, multilingual, interactive typography. Professor Ko shared powerful insights on the importance of community in advancing accessibility and inclusion.

I read an interview with you that said your interest in programming began early in life. What first sparked your interest? 
In 7th grade my math teacher had us buy a TI-82 graphing calculator. The programs he taught us for math formulas weren’t very interesting, but I got a version of Tetris from a classmate and was fascinated that a little computer could make programmable games! I wanted to know more, so I learned to program it and taught what I could to others. Sometimes I got in trouble for sharing my games and animations with others.
I noticed that your faculty page states that your research “imagines and enables equitable, joyous, liberatory learning about computing and information, in schools and beyond.” Those words equitable, joyous, liberatory mean so much in the movement towards accessibility. It sounds like helping others and the community aspect of computing has always been important to you—even when you got in trouble for it. 
When I was young, I didn’t know the word for “accessibility.” And I never had a formal computer science class in K-12. I just knew that I wanted to help family members and other students who were experiencing ADHD, mobility issues, and other situational impairments. I wasn’t necessarily looking at accessibility, I just wanted to identify what problem needed to be solved to help create digital worlds that work for everybody.
Has mentorship played a role in your career? 
It has, but mentorship came late in my career. Richard Ladner in the Allen School & UW CREATE invited me to help lead AccessComputing and that helped me understand what opportunities there were in the community for advocacy and organizing efforts.
Is there a question that you’d like to be asked in interviews that you aren’t typically asked?
I’m never asked about accessibility! I would like to be. It intersects with so many things I care about, including race, gender, class, and diversity, and of course computing and education.
Is the DOJ’s April 2026 deadline for digital accessibility compliance making accessibility a more prominent issue? 
Yes, since the ruling there has been both excitement and trepidation. There’s a risk of unintended consequences in compliance. We want to help them build a more accessible world, and compliance can be a tool for that, but we can’t lose sight of what’s important.

Accessibility is much bigger than violations of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG); assessment policies can be inaccessible, our physical classrooms are often inaccessible, group work can be inaccessible. We can automate some WCAG testing, but we also need to build a strategy and get organized around solving problems that cause barriers for students, and not all of those are about digital content.

We also need to create accountability mechanisms for faculty and support to help them meet accessibility requirements. The April 2026 deadline presents a chance to enable greater coordination with on-the-ground, hands-on work and help strengthen advocacy with top-down support. We’re working hard at the Information School to lead on these strategic plans, envisioning a comprehensive culture of accessibility that spans faculty, staff, students, and leadership.

Resources

  • Learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s Title II ruling under the Americans with Disabilities Act, including the compliance deadline to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA by April 2026 on the Digital Accessibility website.
  • Read more about Dr. Ko’s partnership with Information School faculty and AccessComputing specialist Terrill Thompson to integrate accessibility in iSchool courses on the AccessComputing website.

Power of the Pack

Post categories: Accessible Technology ADA Office Digital Accessibility

Digital Accessibility at UW

At the University of Washington, we all play a vital role to play in advancing digital accessibility. Whether you’re a faculty member creating course materials, an IT professional designing systems, or an administrator managing web content, your contributions help build an inclusive, welcoming digital environment. Together, we can create a campus culture that reflects our shared values and ensures the success of every member of our community.

Digital accessibility is not just the right thing to do—it’s also required by law. As a public institution, UW must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standard by April 2026.

To support this mission, this blog will serve as a hub for resources, compliance updates and training opportunities. Our goal is to empower you with the tools and knowledge to ensure our websites, learning management systems, and digital tools meet these standards and build a culture of learning, accessibility, and inclusion.

You can get started today! Here are some ways to join the pack:

Join us in leading the charge toward a digitally accessible future for the University of Washington. Together, we can make a difference!

Get started with digital accessibility

Post categories: ADA Office Digital Accessibility Post tags:

The new Title II Rule on digital accessibility is about transforming how we create, share, and interact with digital content. Embracing this change means undergoing a University wide effort to foster an inclusive digital environment where everyone can access and benefit from our digital presence. Here are some steps that faculty and staff can take now to prepare for this important transformation:  

  • Build a strong understanding of digital accessibility
  • Review and inventory current content
  • Clean up old files
  • Delete duplicate content

Learn how to get started on these steps with the ADA Office’s guidance: What You Can Do Now