Digital Accessibility
Alert: Starting April 24, 2026, KU Medical Center must ensure that all of our digital content complies with ADA Title II and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA. Regardless of your role, complying with these standards is a way you can help make our learning and working environment accessible for everyone, including people with disabilities.
About the ADA Title II
On April 24, 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) published a new ruling for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II, which requires state and local governments to comply with a set of technical standards for digital accessibility based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA. Under this regulation, the university is responsible for bringing its websites, course sites, mobile applications, and other digital content into compliance.
Why Digital Accessibility Matters
Digital accessibility ensures that everyone — regardless of ability — can access and engage with online content, tools, and resources. As an institution committed to fostering a community that accepts and values everyone, we must ensure that our digital environment is accessible to individuals with diverse learning needs, including those who use screen readers, rely on keyboard navigation, or experience cognitive or visual challenges.
Accessibility isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s also the law. ADA Title II and the Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that digital content be usable by people with disabilities. Noncompliance can lead to formal complaints, legal action, and reputational harm. More importantly, it can exclude members of our community from participating fully in their education or work.
By prioritizing accessibility from the start, we not only meet legal obligations — we create a more welcoming, effective, and equitable digital experience for everyone.
Digital Accessibility Timeline
What does the initiative look like at KU Medical Center? The offices of ADA Compliance, Information Technology, and Communications are collaborating on this project to support faculty, staff, and students.
- Summer 2025: Deploy team, audit current fall 2025 courses, web and intranet content to then establish emergency remediation process
- Fall 2025: Audit Blackboard content, address what is critical for websites/courses, implement new content standards:
- Winter 2025-26: Complete systematic website remediation and archive content
- Spring 2026: Final compliance verification and April 26 deadline preparation
- Ongoing: Continuous monitoring for sustained compliance
Report issues
Email ada-kumc@kumc.edu to report issues.