Digital Accessibility

Towson University is committed to making its websites, course materials and digital communications usable by everyone.

On This Page:

Why Digital Accessibility Matters

Digital accessibility ensures that everyone—regardless of ability—can fully participate in our university's online experiences. That means our websites, course materials and digital tools must be usable by anyone who needs them, in whatever way they use them.

Here’s why it’s important:

  • It’s about inclusion. Accessibility helps remove barriers for people with disabilities so everyone can access information, complete tasks and engage equally.
  • It supports student success. Accessible digital materials make learning and campus life easier for all students—especially those who rely on assistive technology.
  • It benefits everyone. Clear structure, readable text and well-labeled content improve usability for all audiences, including those using mobile devices or reading in low light.
  • It’s a legal requirement. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related laws require public universities to ensure equal access to digital content.
  • It reflects our values. Ensuring accessibility upholds TU’s commitment to equity, respect and opportunity for all.

Preparing for Changes to ADA Title II Regulations

TU is moving strategically to meet new accessibility requirements established under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These new rules make it clear that digital accessibility is now a legal requirement for all public institutions, including universities.

That means everything we publish or share online—from our public website to course materials inside learning management systems and behind login—must meet recognized accessibility standards outlined in WCAG 2.1 AA.

The goal of these regulations is simple but important: to make sure everyone, including people with disabilities, can access and use digital information equally. Whether that’s registering for classes, completing coursework or reading campus news, accessibility ensures every member of our community can fully participate.

Roles and Responsibilities at TU

Everyone who creates digital content on behalf of TU plays a part in accessibility. For example:

  • Website Editors must follow TU’s web content and accessibility standards when updating public-facing pages.
  • Faculty must design courses and prepare course materials with accessibility in mind.
  • Staff must consider accessibility when sharing documents, creating presentations or posting to social media.

Digital Accessibility Workgroup

TU has formed the Digital Accessibility Workgroup to coordinate accessibility efforts across key functional areas of the institution, including:

  • Academic Affairs
  • Office of General Counsel
  • Office of Inclusion and Institutional Equity 
  • Office of Technology Services
  • University Libraries
  • University Marketing and Communications / Digital Strategy

Resources to Get You Started

TU provides resources, tools and training to help you create accessible content confidently and effectively.

Depending on your role and experience at TU, your responsibilities—and the tools available to you—will be different.

For Website Editors and Social Media Creators

For Faculty

For All Campus Technology Users

More Information

Implementation Timeline

Milestone Status Description
Analyze requirements 
 Completed: Fall 2024  Identify the scope of the ADA Title II rule as it relates to TU’s digital content and solidify requirements for impacted areas. 
Establish implementation plan and launch training materials Completed: Fall 2025  Develop a plan for achieving university-wide compliance with the digital accessibility rule. Create training materials to support implementation and launch a Digital Accessibility hub to share information, tools and resources with stakeholders.  
 
Remediate towson.edu website  Underway  Bring all web content within the towson.edu domain into compliance with the digital accessibility rule. Minimize PDF content overall and remediate remaining PDFs, starting with the highest traffic documents. Share information with web content owners and contributors to support the process. 
 
Remediate academic materials  Underway Bring course materials and other academic content into compliance with the digital accessibility rule, starting with Blackboard materials and continuing with audio and video captioning. Share information, training and resources with faculty and academic support staff to assist them in understanding guidelines and creating accessible materials. 
Incorporate digital accessibility into procurement processes  Underway  Review and update procurement processes so that all future contracts and contract renewals comply with digital accessibility standards. 
Develop business and governance processes  Underway Review existing resources and business processes and implement governance processes and address resource needs of tools and resources.  

Contact

For accessibility questions or requests, contact:

Office of Institutional Equity and Inclusion
Email:
Phone: 410-704-0203