On April 8, 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) formally established the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG v 2.1 A, AA) as the accessibility standard for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). (see press release) The regulation aims to eliminate barriers that prevent people with disabilities from accessing vital state and local government services online, aligning with ongoing efforts to ensure digital inclusivity. 

As a state agency, JMU's web content and mobile applications must follow the WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standard by the deadline of April 2026 to be compliant with this updated federal regulation.

How is the university preparing for this deadline?

To be compliant with Title II of the ADA, the university is continuously scanning, monitoring, and improving content accessibility on jmu.edu webpages using a variety of tools. With over 36,000 pages on jmu.edu, this is no small task! Every day content is edited and added to jmu.edu - and it will all need to be accessible.

How can I improve my site's accessibility?

You're in the right place! Please use this guide and the following best practices for making your webpages and content accessible.

Use Electronic or Selectable Text

Electronic text, also called eText or selectable text, is text content that a user can select with their mouse. It can be recognized and read by assistive technologies (AT) like screen readers, text-to-speech programs, as well as search engines. As a flexible format, electronic text can be copied and pasted into other programs, enlarged without becoming pixelated, and the color, font, and contrast can all be manipulated to meet the needs of the reader. 

Any text added by typing or copying/pasting into a WYSIWYG editor is electronic text.

The easiest way to check for electronic text is to see if it is selectable. Can you highlight individual words on a page and copy/paste them into another document? If not, you’re dealing with an image of text instead of eText (see image accessibility best practices).

Type or Copy/Paste Plain Text

Copying/pasting content directly from Microsoft Word (or other rich text editors) can cause accessibility issues or undesireable formatting. To avoid this, you'll want to enter your content in Cascade as plain text:

• Option 1: Type your text and format it within the WYSIWYG editor (this is easy when there’s not much text)
• Option 2: Paste your text from the source document as plain text, then format it within the WYSIWYG.
  • Make sure “Paste as text” is enabled before you paste in your text (Edit > Paste as text)

Avoid using text in images

Text included in images cannot be read or understood by screen readers or other assistive technologies. Instead of using text inside an image, use electronic or selectable text. 

A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself, "If this page did not include this image, would the remaining information appearing on the page be sufficient to convey the same meaning?". 

Use image ALT text

Alt text describes the appearance or function of an image on a web page and is read aloud by programs called screen readers. Good alt text is readable, specific and provides enough context to understand what the image conveys.

Examples:

• Bad: “woman typing computer business school”
• Good: “Business professor pointing to a student's computer screen”

ADD INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO ADD ALT TEXT IN CASCADE

Provide sufficient color contrast

Low contrast colors are difficult to discern, especially when the design contrasts poorly against background colors. If you are desiging an image or graphic that uses text or other design elements, ensure a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1.

Please use the WebAIM color contrast checker to check your contrast (aim for WCAG AA compliance) and reference JMU’s guide to accessible text and color combinations.