Accessibility changes coming for digital materials and software

Every KCC employee needs to make sure the materials you create and share online or through email, social media, video, or in class are accessible to everyone. If you have materials on a kcc.edu website, Canvas, official social media pages, or other software systems, this information is for you.

KCC is legally required to make our documents and online content accessible. One aspect of accessibility, the WCAG 2.1 AA standards required under the U.S. Department of Justice's April 2024 Title II rule, has a compliance deadline of April 2026.

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is a rulebook to help us avoid things like tiny text, confusing layouts, and not enough color contrast. For anyone creating a flyer, a web page, or a PDF, WCAG helps ensure no one is left out. It's the law, and the right thing to do.

What does WCAG govern?

While WCAG specifically defines standards for web content, it also influences other digital materials and software applications to ensure they are usable by people with disabilities. WCAG applies any time you create, post, or share:

• PDFs (such as flyers, forms, reports, and course syllabi)
• Microsoft Office documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Web pages and landing pages (including those in Canvas or other LMS systems)
• Email content and attachments
• Videos and multimedia (recorded lectures, training videos, livestreams, animations — must have captions, transcripts, and, if needed, audio descriptions)
• Social media content (images, videos, posts, or stories on official accounts)
• Digital course materials (handouts, assignments, readings, or interactive content in online classes)
• Infographics and data visualizations (charts, diagrams, maps, dashboards)
• Online forms and surveys (such as JotForm, Google Forms, Microsoft Forms)
• Mobile apps or internal tools that employees or students log into

What can WCAG principles affect?

• Internal tools and portals (e.g., HR systems, online forms - JotForm, Google Forms, Microsoft Forms)\, or student information systems)
• Software applications you purchase or build (e.g., learning management systems, scheduling tools)
• Digital documents shared via email or posted online (PDFs, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Mobile apps

How you make materials accessible?

Here are some basics:

• Use accessible templates in Word and PowerPoint.
• Add proper headings and styles (not just bold text).
• Write descriptive alt text for all visuals.
• Keep tables simple and label them clearly.
• Use Adobe Acrobat Pro to run an accessibility check on PDFs.
• Make sure your colors have good contrast (try theWebAIM Contrast Checker).
• Add captions and/or transcripts for all videos and multimedia.

What else should I know?

Roger Ehmpke, Josh Gregoire and a dedicated team are working behind the scenes to comply with the law before April 2026. Every other employee needs to make sure the materials you create and share online or through email, social media, video, or in class are accessible.

If you have materials on a kcc.edu website, Canvas, official social media pages, or other software systems, our team will be in touch to help this work happen. More details and training resources will be shared in the coming months so you can incorporate acceptable accessibility practices when you're creating materials.

Please reach out to Roger at ext. 8282 with questions.