Creating accessible digital content takes more than fixing individual issues. It requires shared responsibility, clear processes, and continuous improvement across all units.
A recent Pope Tech article highlights progress across the University. The piece shows how digital accessibility becomes manageable when departments share responsibility, support content creators, and build accessible habits into daily workflows.
3 Ways to Build Accessibility Into Daily Work
UMD focuses on long-term habits rather than temporary fixes. Key strategies include:
- Remove outdated or unnecessary content
- Improve content that remains valuable
- Create new content accessibly from the start
These practices help units focus their efforts and make accessibility a standard part of regular work.
Accessibility Is More Than Error Counts or Percentages
Accessibility reports often discuss issues identified by automated tools. These tools are valuable because they help identify many common barriers and support ongoing improvement.
However, accessibility cannot be measured simply by the number of issues found or fixed. Automated tools cannot determine whether content is fully accessible or whether a person with a disability can successfully use a website, document, video, or online service.
Accessibility expert Karl Groves emphasizes this distinction in his article Accessible Is Conformant. He explains that accessibility is not a score or percentage. The real measure is whether people with disabilities can access and use information, services, and opportunities. Karl Groves summarizes this idea clearly:
"A percentage of technical conformance does not necessarily tell us whether people with disabilities have equal access." — Karl Groves
Moving Into Phase II at UMD
As UMD moves into Phase II of its accessibility strategy, the focus is shifting from large-scale remediation to long-term sustainability.
Phase II focuses on:
- Supporting content creators through training and guidance
- Preventing new accessibility barriers
- Reviewing issues that require human evaluation
- Strengthening accessibility practices throughout the content lifecycle
- Maintaining progress through ongoing monitoring and support
The goal is to make accessibility a routine part of publishing content rather than a task reserved for later cleanup.
Equal Access Is Required Today
Federal timelines for Title II compliance have changed, but the responsibility to provide accessible digital content remains the same. As explained in Accessibility Deadline Changed, but the Responsibility Did Not, digital accessibility is a fundamental civil right. Equal access matters today, regardless of federal deadlines.
Sharing the Responsibility
Digital accessibility succeeds when it becomes part of daily routines. Every document, webpage, image, and video you publish affects who can participate in university life. By choosing accessible habits today, you help make UMD an inclusive place to learn, work, and connect.
Take Your Next Step Today
- Check pages before publishing: Use the Editoria11y Playbook to run automated checks directly in Drupal before hitting publish.
- Scan external pages: Test Google sites and vendor pages using the WAVE Playbook guide.
- Follow best practices: Review the Drupal Accessibility Playbooks to build accessibility into new pages from day one.
- Track department progress: Submit a Pope Tech Report Request to identify remaining issues in your unit.
- Get real-time help: Join an ITSS Drupal Drop-In session for expert guidance on complex accessibility challenges.
Every accessible webpage, document, image, and video helps ensure that students, employees, and community members can participate fully in university life.