Web Accessibility Compliance

Yes. When a page is archived, any images or PDFs used on that page are copied to a separate archive location. This ensures the archived version continues to display correctly, even if the original files are removed from the Media Library.

Before deleting any file, be sure to confirm it is not used elsewhere on live pages by checking the Usage tab.

Note: Pages archived before May 27, 2026, may not include linked PDFs in the archive.

Yes, all web-based applications must be accessible, particularly if they are required for students to sign up, register, or access essential information.

You will find web-based applications and software listed on the University's digital accessibility policy.

You can check the application using an accessibility checker like the Sa11y Bookmarklet or, if you use Chrome, the WAVE Evaluation Extension. You should be sure to email your vendor to inform them of the university’s policy, and, if you find any issues, inquire about the application’s accessibility roadmap and if these issues can be resolved. Note: When reviewing with Sa11y or WAVE, warnings can be ignored; only issues need to be remediated.

Paid products should supply a VPAT report as required by SCU's Technology Acquisition Review (TAR) process.

While tools like Adobe Acrobat Pro can be used to create fillable PDF forms, we don’t recommend this approach for digital fillable forms unless you specialize in accessible PDFs. Creating a PDF form that meets our accessibility standards is complex and requires specialized knowledge and tools. Even experienced web users can find it difficult to ensure that form fields, labels, reading order, and navigation work correctly for screen reader users.

Whenever possible, we recommend creating a web-based form instead of a PDF form. Tools such as Google Forms, Qualtrics, or Maxient provide a more user-friendly experience for you and are easier to maintain over time. Web forms are also more responsive for people who access content on mobile devices or use assistive technologies.

If you require a PDF form and a web form is not an option, it should be professionally created or remediated for accessibility. In many cases, the most reliable solution is for you to work with an external vendor (such as Allyant) to ensure the document meets accessibility standards.

For more guidance, please review SCU’s accessibility resource: When (Not) to Use PDFs

Yes, the mandate applies to all digital content coming from SCU, regardless of platform. That includes emails (T4 or not) and social media. Archived content can be exempt under specific criteria (e.g., historical and unmodified). Platforms like Instagram and Facebook now offer built-in accessibility features. Teams are encouraged to use them.

Yes. All PDFs posted publicly must meet accessibility standards.

The best first step is to ensure the original source (i.e., Word or Google Docs) is accessible using the Word accessibility tool or Grackle Docs. Check out the documentation on Accessible Word Documents and Accessible Google Docs for more details. After resolving all flagged accessibility issues in the original source, export the new accessible PDF. This will reduce the need to remediate existing PDFs. 

The plan is to also work with a vendor for PDF remediation, with student staff assisting via CommonLook.

Yes, some have been identified. Our team is actively working on fixes and monitoring third-party systems to ensure compliance when they're embedded in T4. Updates will be pushed directly to site branches as we fix issues.

We rolled out a coordinated plan, so every T4 site has a path to compliance. Use the information and tools found on this site to make the process more manageable.

Most of the digital content you create and manage will need to meet WCAG 2.1 AA by May 2026. If you manage one of the following, this applies to you. 

• Websites and emails: All public-facing and internal T4 pages, including HTML emails created in T4 or other platforms.
• Software and web applications: Both SCU-built tools and vendor products integrated into our website. 
• Video and audio content (e.g., captions, transcripts, audio descriptions where appropriate)
• Electronic documents: PDFs, Word, PowerPoint, and Google Drive files shared broadly with the campus community or public.

Some narrow exceptions exist in the federal rule, such as certain archived or highly individualized content, but, as a general rule, if it’s active content that people are expected to use, assume it needs to be accessible.

We have licensed a couple of new PDF remediation tools to help you create and maintain accessible documents. However, we recommend converting a single-page PDF to web pages whenever possible. 

PDFs are better suited for content intended to be printed or preserved with fixed formatting, while standard HTML webpages offer accessibility, searchability, and responsiveness for digital consumption. Webpages are easier to update, are better for search engine optimization (SEO), and adapt to different screen sizes. This is ideal for most online content, whereas PDFs often create poor user experiences due to difficult navigation and slow loading times.

Please evaluate all of your PDFs and Word docs, and consider creating a T4 page equivalent. Start with any PDF that is one or two pages. You could still keep the ones you've created as an alternative downloadable/printable format, but for students searching the web and navigating on mobile devices, a webpage will be more usable.

Our student assistants can support units with remediation, help create accessible documents and PDFs, and remediate existing documents—either at the source (Word, Google Docs) or directly in a PDF when the original source file is no longer available.

To request student support, please submit a Zendesk ticket outlining your needs.

Before requesting assistance, we strongly recommend starting with a content clean-up. Archive or delete web pages, emails, and other content in T4 that are no longer needed. Determining what is still relevant requires familiarity with your content and services, so this step is best handled by your team.

Once you’ve removed unnecessary content, you’ll have a clearer understanding of the remaining scope and what level of support is needed.

If your remaining scope is small, you can use the Accessibility Compliance Tool to escalate individual accessibility issues directly to our team. That escalation feature is one of the primary ways the web team and our student assistants step in to resolve specific items.

If your scope remains larger after cleanup, working more directly with our student assistants may be the most effective option for you.

At this time, there isn't a way to identify broken links on web pages through T4 or the Accessibility Compliance tool. Broken links are considered a content quality issue rather than an accessibility issue, so they are not flagged in the accessibility workflow. Once your accessibility remediation work is complete, we can add a broken link report as a next step to help you review and improve overall content quality. If you’re ready to prioritize link checking, let us know, and we can make it available.

Website content should be created as accessible HTML whenever possible, and embedded Canva presentations should include accessible alternatives hosted alongside the presentation. See our Accessibility Tips for Canva.