Digital Accessibility: Prepare Now for the April 2027 Federal Requirement
Posted: 2026-10-11 04:34:29 Expiration: 2027-04-27 04:34:29
The federal requirement for accessible web content and mobile applications now takes effect April 26, 2027, and NDSU has training, resources, and people ready to help you prepare.
Federal guidelines requiring accessible web content and mobile applications were extended by one year, to April 26, 2027. Laura Oster-Aaland, Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Institutional Equity and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator, encourages everyone at NDSU to use the coming months to make progress.
Where to Get Help
- Digital Accessibility Resources: guidance, how-to resources, and training on accessible documents, presentations, course materials, captions, and alt text.
- Instructional Design Center (IDC): assistance and training for staff as well as faculty.
- IDC training sessions: ongoing sessions to build accessibility knowledge and skills.
- Accessibility in Action: Ally for Instructors Session: practical strategies for using Blackboard Ally to improve accessibility.
- Accessibility in Action: Student Experiences Session: students share their experiences accessing course materials.
- Accessibility in Action PowerPoint: includes links to Ally resources and support.
- ADA Fact Sheet: an overview of the federal requirements, including what content is covered and the exceptions in the rule. Contact Oster-Aaland, as ADA Coordinator, with questions about exceptions.
- Course materials: review the accessibility information provided by Collect. For questions about publisher-provided course materials, contact the NDSU Bookstore at ndsu.bookstore@ndsu.edu.
- Digital Accessibility Liaison: connect with your college’s liaison for support and guidance.
These resources serve faculty and staff whether you are just starting this work or have focused on accessibility for some time. If you are not sure where to begin, reach out to Oster-Aaland.
-- Academic Affairs: Haley Hamel