Exciting news! The RCC Accessibility Council is launching a collegewide initiative to improve digital accessibility across all student-facing departments—instructional and non-instructional—in response to updated federal regulations.
What’s New?
In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice released new ADA Title II regulations. These updates require all public colleges, including RCC, to meet WCAG 2.1 AA digital accessibility standards by April 2026.
This means all documents, course content and digital materials expected to remain in use past that date must meet accessibility standards. RCC needs your help to make it happen.
What to Expect
Over the next four academic terms—summer, fall, winter and spring—the Accessibility Council will lead this effort by:
- Offering guidance and tools
- Identifying priority areas
- Providing resources and interactive training opportunities
Deans and supervisors will reach out to invite stakeholders to attend Accessibility Orientation Sessions, which will:
- Outline the scope of the initiative
- Introduce available accessibility training resources
- Offer guidance on prioritization and collaboration
The 4 Cs of Accessibility Remediation
Check
Audit your department’s digital content. Identify the types and volume of documents you manage and note any potential barriers to access.
Clean
Eliminate outdated or unused materials. Archive or remove anything no longer serving a clear purpose.
Correct
Remediate content that will remain in use beyond April 2026 to meet accessibility standards. Departments may appoint a lead, form a task force, or assign responsibilities individually based on their needs.
Create
Establish long-term procedures and best practices to ensure that new content is accessible from the start. Update contracts and RFPs to reflect accessibility expectations.
Let’s Lead the Way
Accessibility is everyone’s responsibility and this initiative is a powerful step toward a more inclusive RCC. With your participation, RCC can become a statewide leader in accessibility and equity.
We’re excited to partner with you—one accessible document at a time—to build a stronger, more inclusive college. For questions, contact Andrew Childress on Teams or by phone at 541-956-7431.