Digital Accessibility
Our Commitment to Accessibility
Onondaga Community College is committed to providing equal access to programs, services, and activities for individuals with disabilities. This commitment includes ensuring that our digital content—websites, online courses, documents, media, and tools—is accessible to everyone.
Digital accessibility is not only a legal responsibility; it reflects our values of equity, inclusion, and student success. Accessible content benefits all users by improving usability, clarity, and flexibility across devices and learning environments.
What Is Digital Accessibility?
Digital accessibility means designing digital content so it can be used by people with a wide range of abilities, including individuals who use:
- Screen readers
- Keyboard-only navigation
- Captioning and transcripts
- Voice recognition software
- Alternative input devices
Title II of the ADA
Understanding Title II Requirements
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to state and local government entities, including public colleges and universities. It requires that programs, services, and activities be accessible and non-discriminatory, including those delivered through digital technologies.
The U.S. Department of Justice has issued updated regulations under Title II of the ADA clarifying that websites, mobile apps, and digital content must be accessible to individuals with disabilities.
These regulations reinforce existing obligations and establish clear technical standards for compliance across public institutions.
All public institutions, including Onondaga Community College, must comply with the updated Title II digital accessibility requirements by April 24, 2026.
This includes, but is not limited to:
- Online and in-person course materials
- Learning management systems
- Publisher and third-party content
- Student-submitted content used in instruction
- Websites and web applications
- Social media content
- Multimedia and video conferencing tools
The required technical standard under the updated Title II regulations is:
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA
WCAG is built around four core principles:
- Perceivable – Information can be perceived by all users
- Operable – Interface elements can be used via multiple input methods
- Understandable – Content is clear and predictable
- Robust – Content works with current and future assistive technologies
Some web and mobile app content may be exempt from meeting the technical standard, including:
- Archived content kept solely for reference or record-keeping
- Documents published before the compliance date
- Third-party content not under institutional control
- Password-protected, individualized documents
- Social media posts created before April 24, 2026
Even when content is exempt, providing access upon request is still required.