On April 24, 2026, new Title II and VA HB 2541 regulations go into effect. After that date, the expectation is that any digital materials that are available to students are accessible to the WCAG 2.1 AA standard. This is especially relevant if you are teaching this summer. As you prepare for summer teaching (or for your upcoming fall courses), this post offers a high‑level overview of where to focus your attention first. Over the next few weeks, we will share more detailed guidance, examples, and resources to help with specific tasks.
1. Take Stock of Your Course Content
Many summer courses are delivered online, which means students primarily engage with course content and communication in digital formats.
As you review your course, consider what you are asking students to do:
- Watch (recorded lectures, publisher videos, external media)
- Videos can be time consuming to remediate. See these guides for more information:
- Read (Word Docs, PDFs, PowerPoints, web pages)
- PDFs are among the most difficult files to remediate. See this guide for considerations:
- Interact (with tools, simulations, websites, discussion spaces)
- If your course uses online tools or platforms outside of Canvas, they are considered part of your digital course materials and need to be accessible. As a faculty member, it is helpful to document your efforts to determine if a tool meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards by searching their website or contacting their support. If you have questions about this, please contact t2access@umw.edu for assistance.
2. Review the Organization of Your Course Content in Canvas
Beyond individual files or videos, how your course content is organized in Canvas plays a major role in accessibility. It affects how easily students can navigate the content using screen readers, keyboards, or other assistive technologies.
As you review your Canvas site, think about:
- Whether navigation is consistent and predictable from week to week
- Where students can easily find and access any external tools and resources they need
Next week’s post will provide further specific guidance on considerations for accessible organization of your course content in Canvas.
3. Plan for Accessible Synchronous Zoom Sessions
If your summer course includes live Zoom sessions, those meetings are part of your course content and should be planned with accessibility in mind, especially if sessions will be recorded and shared.
When planning live sessions, consider:
- Using Zoom’s live captions and verifying they are enabled before class begins
- Verbally describing visual content shown on slides or shared screens
- Reading key chat questions or comments aloud
If recordings are posted for later viewing, treat them like other course videos. They should include captions and concepts discussed should be understandable to a student that cannot see the screen.
The post in two weeks will address the accessibility considerations for Zoom meetings.
4. Suggested Syllabus Statement for Digital Accessibility of Course Materials
We have newly created syllabus language that explains how students should let you know if they encounter accessibility barriers with course materials, and what steps you will take to address those issues. Including this language helps set clear expectations and ensures students know where to go for help. You can find the syllabus language here:
Digital Accessibility of Course Materials
Final Thoughts
Right now, the most important thing is awareness of what you need to do and prioritizing the work ahead. Starting early and focusing on the areas that tend to take the longest, such as videos and PDFs, will put you in a strong position for summer teaching.
Under Title II, only the content that is available (Published) to students in your Canvas course needs to be compliant. In an accelerated term, it is reasonable to make content available week by week if additional time is needed to update materials. Releasing content this way can be a practical way to manage accessibility work while still meeting instructional goals.
Get Support
If you have questions about creating accessible summer courses you can:
- Book an Accessibility Consultation
- Send an e-mail to t2access@umw.edu