Web Accessibility

What is Web Accessibility?

Web accessibility involves making digital content accessible to a wider range of people with disabilities on any kind of device (including desktops, laptops, kiosks, and mobile devices). The following organizations are instrumental in developing the standards that govern digital accessibility.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops international standards for the Web: HTML, CSS, and many more.

The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) develops standards and support materials to help you understand and implement accessibility.

You should use W3C WAI resources like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), linked below, to make your websites, applications, and other digital creations more accessible and usable to everyone.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a “stable, referenceable, technical standard” developed by the World Wide Web Consortium intended to guide the creation of accessible websites and web content. The guidelines are organized around the following four principles, which lay the foundation necessary for anyone to access and use digital content.

  1. Perceivable - Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive. This means that users must be able to perceive the information being presented (it can't be invisible to all of their senses)
  2. Operable - User interface components and navigation must be operable. This means that users must be able to operate the interface (the interface cannot require interaction that a user cannot perform)
  3. Understandable - Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable. This means that users must be able to understand the information as well as the operation of the user interface (the content or operation cannot be beyond their understanding)
  4. Robust - Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. This means that users must be able to access the content as technologies advance (as technologies and user agents evolve, the content should remain accessible)

For each guideline, there are testable success criteria. The success criteria are at three levels: A, AA, and AAA.

To meet the requirement of the Digital Accessibility Policy, College websites and other digital content should comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.

WCAG Layers of Guidance

The individuals and organizations that use WCAG vary widely and include web designers and developers, policy makers, purchasing agents, faculty, and students. In order to meet the varying needs of this audience, several layers of guidance are provided including overall principles, general guidelines, testable success criteria and a rich collection of sufficient techniques, advisory techniques, and documented common failures with examples, resource links and code.

  • Principles - At the top are four principles that provide the foundation for web accessibility: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. See also Understanding the Four Principles of Accessibility.

  • Guidelines - Under the principles are guidelines. The 13 guidelines provide the basic goals that authors should work toward in order to make content more accessible to users with different disabilities. The guidelines are not testable, but provide the framework and overall objectives to help authors understand the success criteria and better implement the techniques.

  • Success Criteria - For each guideline, testable success criteria are provided to allow WCAG 2.1 to be used where requirements and conformance testing are necessary such as in design specification, purchasing, regulation, and contractual agreements. In order to meet the needs of different groups and different situations, three levels of conformance are defined: A (lowest), AA, and AAA (highest). Additional information on WCAG levels can be found in Understanding Levels of Conformance.

  • Sufficient and Advisory Techniques - For each of the guidelines and success criteria in the WCAG 2.1 document itself, the working group has also documented a wide variety of techniques. The techniques are informative and fall into two categories: those that are sufficient for meeting the success criteria and those that are advisory. The advisory techniques go beyond what is required by the individual success criteria and allow authors to better address the guidelines. Some advisory techniques address accessibility barriers that are not covered by the testable success criteria. Where common failures are known, these are also documented. See also Sufficient and Advisory Techniques in Understanding WCAG 2.1.

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. W3C Recommendation, May 6, 2025.

Exceptions to Requirements of Accessibility of Website and Mobile Applications

There are seven exceptions to the requirements stated in Section B. Even if a need or request falls under an exception, access will be provided by utilizing equally effective alternatives. The exceptions are as follows:

  1. Fundamental alteration is a change that is so significant or substantial that it modifies the essence of or disrupts the core nature or purpose of the goods, services, programs, activities, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations offered. Determinations about fundamental alteration are made by the Digital Accessibility Compliance Committee, which is comprised of the Provost or their designee, the Vice President of IT or their designee, the Vice President of Communications or their designee, the General Counsel or their designee, and the ADA Coordinator or their designee. The determination must be accompanied by a written rationale for that conclusion.
  2. Undue financial or administrative burden is a significant disruption, expense, or difficulty that may result from the provision of websites, website-based applications, and mobile applications. Determinations about undue financial or administrative burden are made by the Digital Accessibility Compliance Committee, which is comprised of the Provost or their designee, the Vice President of IT or their designee, the Vice President of Communications or their designee, the General Counsel or their designee, and the ADA Coordinator or their designee. The determination must be accompanied by a written rationale for that conclusion.
  3. Archived web content. Defined as content that:
    1. Was created before April 24, 2026, reproduces paper documents created before April 24, 2026, or reproduces the contents of other physical media created before April 24, 2026;
    2. Is retained exclusively for reference, research, or recordkeeping;
    3. Is not altered or updated after April 24, 2026; and
    4. Is organized and stored in a dedicated area or areas clearly identified as being archived.
  4. Preexisting conventional electronic documents. Conventional electronic documents that are available as part of the College’s web content or mobile applications before the date the College is required to comply with this subpart, unless such documents are currently used to apply for, gain access to, or participate in the College’s services, programs, or activities. These include but are not limited to PDFs, word process documents, spreadsheets, or presentations.
  5. Content posted by a third party. Content posted by a third party unless the third party is posting due to contractual, licensing, or other arrangements with the College.
  6. Individualized, password-protected or otherwise secured conventional electronic documents. Conventional electronic documents such as PDF’s, word processing documents, spreadsheets, or presentations. This may include individual student assignments that are conventional electronic documents. These documents must be:
    1. About a specific individual or their account; and
    2. Password-protected or otherwise secured.
  7. Preexisting social media posted before April 24, 2026.
9.1.11.1 Digital Accessibility Policy

Web Accessibility Support

The College's online presence is comprised of hundreds of sites that are managed and maintained by individual departments and sponsoring organizations. The quickest way to have a web accessibility issue addressed is to contact the owner of the site directly. You may also report accessibility difficulties with any technology at the College by contacting submitting a ticket at help.charleston.edu.