The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1991 with the intent to enable greater equity and inclusion within society and the workforce for persons with disabilities. A key tenet of ADA is accessibility, which refers to the design of products, devices, services or environments to support these outcomes. Digital accessibility refers to the design and development of information technologies which can readily be used by individuals with disabilities to promote equitable access to information and technology services.
In May 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued additional guidance (PDF) regarding digital accessibility requirements for state and local government entities under the ADA. The rule identifies Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard for web accessibility compliance and establishes compliance deadlines based on the size of the covered entity.
Based upon guidance from the Office of General Counsel for the Universities of Wisconsin, UWM falls under the Universities of Wisconsin system-wide compliance obligations, which originally established a compliance date of April 1, 2026. In spring 2026, the DOJ announced a one-year extension of the compliance deadline to April 26, 2027, and the Universities of Wisconsin updated its compliance deadline accordingly. In addition, UWM and UWs expect that all Spring 2027 courses will be compliant by the start of the term in January 2027.
To guide this work at UWM, the Digital Accessibility Taskforce (DATF) was organized in June 2024 with the purpose of establishing a campus-wide plan and securing the means to deliver significant compliance. It also provides the foundations for how compliance can be maintained over time and how digital accessibility contributes to recruitment and retention through inclusion. The executive sponsors for the DATF include the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, the senior vice chancellor for finance and administrative affairs, the vice chancellor for marketing and communications, and the vice chancellor for community empowerment and institutional inclusivity.