WSU invests in new enterprise tools, resources to support digital accessibility

Beginning this fall, Washington State University faculty and staff will have access to several new tools to help them ensure their digital content is accessible and provides an inclusive experience for all university employees, learners, and visitors.

Funding for a dedicated staff position to support digital accessibility across the system, as well as a subscription to DubBot, a website scanning tool, are among the investments being made by WSU. The university is also purchasing a suite of on-demand training modules to help faculty and staff learn how to create accessible documents, presentations, and other digital resources.

"The university's continued investment in digital accessibility tools and resources does more than support compliance," said Leslie Brunelli, executive vice president for finance and operations. "It also ensures that WSU's educational and research resources are available and accessible to everyone, in alignment with our public service mission."

An additional $300,000 will be spent to address areas of significant need, such as highly visible university websites and large online document repositories. Many of these needs were identified by the university's Digital Accessibility Sub-committee, a group of representatives from across the system under Compliance & Risk Management.

Holly Ashkannejhad, who serves as the sub-committee co-chair and director of the Office of Compliance and Civil Rights, notes that grassroots-level collaboration and community feedback have been critical to finding the solutions employees and students need most.

"We are seeing increased awareness of the importance of making our university's digital experience as accessible as possible," said Ashkannejhad. "The key is to identify the tools, training, and resources necessary to make that happen. That requires input and continued commitment from all levels of our institution."

In that spirit, Ashkannejhad worked alongside fellow co-chairs Wendy Steele, assistant director for digital accessibility and student experience with the WSU Global Campus, and Lesa McPeak, web services manager in University Marketing and Communications, to develop formal recommendations for policy enhancements and funding consideration.

More than just the web

While websites are often thought of as the primary focus of digital accessibility efforts, the impact extends well beyond web pages and HTML.

As a public institution, WSU complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires the university to provide equal access to those with disabilities. The university's digital accessibility policies, which align with state and federal laws, impact nearly every aspect of WSU's enterprise, from websites to curriculum materials and even software and social media content.

"Any employee who creates documents, emails, or other digital or print handouts or course materials for the university should be doing so with accessibility in mind," notes Ashkannejhad. "However, most of the time, this just means using basic best practices that make documents easier to read for everyone."

Incorporating digital accessibility into day-to-day workflows is the most effective way to ensure content is user-friendly and meets the proper requirements. Commonly used applications, like Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat, have ways to check documents and address issues before files are published.

WSU's digital accessibility website offers a range of resources, including step-by-step tutorials to help with creating digital content. Additionally, employees are required to refresh their knowledge of digital accessibility basics through annual training in Percipio.

Looking to the future

Although the scope of impact is significant, new tools, like the DubBot website scanner, make it easier to find and address gaps across WSU's vast information network. The tool has been used successfully over the past year by the College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Resource Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Voiland College of Engineering, and has proven to be invaluable in finding potentially overlooked issues.

The two-year subscription allows scanning of up to one million wsu.edu webpages and PDF documents. Once issues are found, website editors and contributors will be responsible for making the edits.

In addition to institutionally supported accessibility resources, some individual units across the university have identified accessibility tools and services to address needs specific to their areas. For instance, to help Global Campus instructors assess and enhance the accessibility of their Canvas course materials, Global Campus has invested in a digital accessibility scanner, YuJa Panorama. The tool is available beginning this fall.

Representatives from the Digital Accessibility Committee continue working together to assess critical needs and possible solutions for both the immediate future and the long term.

"Identifying the best solutions to address a wide range of needs and technical skills across our institution can be challenging," said Ashkannejhad. "Working together and building our accessibility expertise and resources helps ensure WSU is a place for everyone to succeed."