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USM Announces Formation of Digital Accessibility Working Group

Â鶹´«Ã½ Announces Formation of Digital Accessibility Working Group

The Â鶹´«Ã½ (USM) is proud to announce the formation of the Digital Accessibility (DA) Working Group, spearheaded by the Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation. This initiative brings together representatives from all 12 USM campuses, community college representatives, independent public university representatives, private college representatives, and MarylandOnline to address the critical need for accessible digital course materials across the State of Maryland.

The DA Working Group is charged with fostering cross-institutional collaboration to support faculty and staff in meeting the Department of Justice’s Title II ruling on digital accessibility. This ruling requires that all public higher education institutions make web content and mobile apps accessible and meet WCAG 2.1 guidelines for web accessibility. Web content includes content inside an institution’s learning management system and password-protected content. Public higher education institutions are required to meet these accessibility standards by April 2026.

According to a recent  article, 21 percent of college students report having a disability, spanning visual, hearing, cognitive, and manual-dexterity domains. The DOJ Title II ruling is important, as it is difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to access information and content when website and mobile apps are not accessible. While USM institutions have processes in place for accommodating students, faculty, and staff with disabilities, this new ruling pushes institutions to build accessibility into the digital infrastructure from the beginning, so that everyone can access and engage with materials.

The DA Working Group will develop shared resources, offer professional development opportunities, explore and evaluate faculty and staff support structures, and create best practices documents for campus-wide use.

The DA Working Group urges all Maryland faculty and staff to actively participate in this initiative by attending training sessions, utilizing shared resources, and collaborating with colleagues to ensure their web content and mobile apps meet digital accessibility standards. This work is crucial in creating an inclusive educational environment that supports all students.

For more information, please contact: cai@usmd.edu

Â鶹´«Ã½ Announces Formation of Digital Accessibility Working Group

The Â鶹´«Ã½ (USM) is proud to announce the formation of the Digital Accessibility (DA) Working Group, spearheaded by the Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation. This initiative brings together representatives from all 12 USM campuses, community college representatives, independent public university representatives, private college representatives, and MarylandOnline to address the critical need for accessible digital course materials across the State of Maryland.

The DA Working Group is charged with fostering cross-institutional collaboration to support faculty and staff in meeting the Department of Justice’s Title II ruling on digital accessibility. This ruling requires that all public higher education institutions make web content and mobile apps accessible and meet WCAG 2.1 guidelines for web accessibility. Web content includes content inside an institution’s learning management system and password-protected content. Public higher education institutions are required to meet these accessibility standards by April 2026.

According to a recent  article, 21 percent of college students report having a disability, spanning visual, hearing, cognitive, and manual-dexterity domains. The DOJ Title II ruling is important, as it is difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to access information and content when website and mobile apps are not accessible. While USM institutions have processes in place for accommodating students, faculty, and staff with disabilities, this new ruling pushes institutions to build accessibility into the digital infrastructure from the beginning, so that everyone can access and engage with materials.

The DA Working Group will develop shared resources, offer professional development opportunities, explore and evaluate faculty and staff support structures, and create best practices documents for campus-wide use.

The DA Working Group urges all Maryland faculty and staff to actively participate in this initiative by attending training sessions, utilizing shared resources, and collaborating with colleagues to ensure their web content and mobile apps meet digital accessibility standards. This work is crucial in creating an inclusive educational environment that supports all students.

For more information, please contact: cai@usmd.edu

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The DA Working Group is charged with fostering cross-institutional collaboration to support faculty and staff in meeting the Department of Justice’s Title II ruling on digital accessibility.

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