Accessibility

Accessibility

Mississippi State University is committed to a web environment accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. For editors, accessibility is a legal requirement and core institutional policy (OP 01.13: World Wide Web Pages and Other Electronic Publications), not a visual preference.

More guidance, tools, and documentation are available at web.accessibility.msstate.edu.

Federal framework: ADA Title II requirements

The U.S. Department of Justice has finalized regulations under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requiring public universities to make digital content and services accessible.

Key requirements include:

  • Proactive compliance: Digital content must be accessible by default, not only when someone requests accommodation.

  • Technical standards: Web content, mobile applications, and electronic documents must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA.

  • Broad scope: This applies to page text, Media Library assets (PDFs and images), form fields, and embedded audio or video.

Editing overview

Apply these rules during everyday editing to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA:

1. Alternative text (alt text)

Every image uploaded to the Media Library and displayed on the site needs concise, descriptive alt text so screen readers can convey the visual information. Avoid generic filenames such as “image.jpg” or “graphic.” If the image includes text, repeat that text in the alt field. See Site Media Library.

2. Logical heading structure

Structure content with headings in order. The page title is level 1; begin sections in Paragraphs at H2, then H3 for subsections. Do not skip levels (for example, H2 directly to H4) to achieve a visual style.

3. Descriptive hyperlinks

Link text must describe the destination out of context. Visitors using screen readers often skim by links alone. Avoid “click here,” “read more,” or raw URL strings. See Linking.

4. Audio and video accessibility

Provide equivalent access: synchronized captions (and audio description when essential visual information is not in the audio track) for video; full transcripts for audio-only content such as podcasts or lecture clips.

Technical resources and training

For remediation guides, design patterns, evaluation tools, and class schedules, visit MSU Web Content Accessibility.

Questions about document remediation, vendor compliance, or captioning: web-accessibility@msstate.edu.