Next Steps for Becoming Compliant
To meet UW’s accessibility expectations, all website owners and editors should complete the steps below. These actions help maintain accessible and consistent user experiences across the university’s digital presence.
Complete Required Website Accessibility Training
All editors who manage a university website inside the CMS must complete UW’s 2026 CMS Website Accessibility Training. This ensures editors understand standards for headings, alt text, link language, page titles, contrast and accessible media.
CMS Site Template Compliance
Sites that are built inside the CMS must use approved templates without modifying structure or introducing custom code. This protects accessibility and maintains accurate monitoring.
Review the Website Accessibility Guidelines
All CMS site editors should follow UW’s established accessibility guidelines, including requirements for text alternatives, captions, page structure, readable design and document accessibility. Following these guidelines supports consistent compliance.
Use UW’s Accessibility Resources
UW provides resources that support accessible website content, including document accessibility tools and browser integrations that can help you identify violations on your web pages. These resources are available to all websites, regardless of platform.
Differences Between CMS & Non-CMS Websites
All university websites, regardless of platform, must comply with Title II of the ADA and align with WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
CMS Websites
CMS websites receive continuous monitoring from Institutional Marketing. Critical errors are addressed on a regular basis by administrators, however site editors are still ultimately responsible for creating accessible content. Editors should not alter CMS templates, since doing so can introduce accessibility errors.
Non-CMS Websites
Non-CMS websites are not managed within UW's primary system, but must meet the same
accessibility standards. Institutional Marketing does not monitor or fix accessibility issues for these sites. More information coming soon.
Click Below for the exemption procedure for requests for exemption to host a University website outside of CMS
Website Best Practices
Common Web Violations
Common accessibility violations in website content include:
- Skipped heading levels
- Empty heading levels
- Low contrast, especially on in tables
- Using poorly described link text
- Missing or poorly described alt text
- Redundant hyperlinked text
PDF Violations
Documents available online are subject to Title II accessibility requirements. The university CMS houses over 26,000 PDFs. Take the time to delete documents you are no longer using. You may open a ticket in the CMS to request a list of PDFs to determine if they are linked on other pages.
Alt Text Generator
Save time and stay compliant with our free Alt Text Generator tool. Simply upload your website image to generate an effective alternative text designed to easily be read by screen readers. Aways review your generated alt text before placing it into your web image.