Auditing the University Website for Accessibility
UHCL Digital Accessibility Standard
UHCL continually works to be compliant in accordance with Texas Administrative Code (TAC) 213 and 206.70, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and UH System SAM 01.D.13 (Electronic and Information Resources Accessibility Policy). The minimum level standards to comply is Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, level AA.
Shared Responsibility
Creating and maintaining accessible digital content at UHCL is a shared responsibility. University leadership, web content owners, contributors, and editors must ensure their content meets the university's accessibility standards. They also act as accessibility leads for their college or department, working with subject matter experts to confirm their content is compliant.
UHCL Digital Accessibility Resource
Compliance Audit
Document Accessibility Guidelines
As we align with our upcoming deadline for web content accessibility compliance, we are shifting away from hosting PDF/Word/Presentation documents on the university website unless they are required for state-mandated purposes, historical/archive exceptions, or other business need to provide a downloadable version for printing purposes only.
For digital communications, such as email or web pages, it is important that the information be available as live, readable text rather than only within a graphic or PDF. This ensures the content can be interpreted by assistive technologies such as JAWS Screen Reader or NVDA Screen Reader and supports compliance with accessibility guidelines like Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
The recommended approach is to place all of the document's content directly on a webpage as structured text (using headings, lists, and links).
Printable Download As Alternative Option
If a document is necessary for printing, it must still meet accessibility requirements. The recommended approach is to place all of the document's content directly on a webpage as structured text (using headings, lists, and links), and include a link to the document as an alternative option by adding a button or link such as "Download the PDF version." This ensures that users who rely on assistive technology can still access the information in a fully readable format.
In addition, include the following statement on the PDF with a link to the web page where the accessible content appears:
"An accessible version of this document is available on our website."
(Link "accessible version of this document" to the web page containing the content.)
Documents That Cannot be Presented As Web Page Content
If the document content cannot be presented as web page content but must still be provided, the PDF must meet accessibility compliance standards. View our Digital Accessibility web section for Adobe and Microsoft accessibility-related resources, as well as who to contact for help remediating a document.
If the document includes a complex table, chart, map, or other visual graphic that cannot be made fully accessible, include the following statement as the figure's alternative description so users know how to request assistance:
"Contact the UHCL Accessibility Support Center at 281-283-2648 for assistance with this [map | image | chart]."
MarComm Designed Flyers
The flyers produced by Marcomm are designed for print, not for web. While design software such as Adobe InDesign or Adobe Illustrator is great for creating print materials, it does not produce accessible digital documents. Because of this, flyers exported directly from design software typically do not meet accessibility standards required for digital content.
Creating a fully accessible document requires building it in a program such as Microsoft Word with proper heading structures and accessibility features before converting it to PDF. Because Marcomm's workflow focuses on print design, we are not currently able to produce accessible digital versions of flyers created in design software.
For this reason, the best practice for website content is to present the information directly on the web page and treat the flyer as an optional downloadable file rather than the primary source of information.
Digital Accessibility Compliance Audit Process
To support your accessibility compliance audit of documents on the www.uhcl.edu website, the Marketing and Communications team has created a spreadsheet listing files by division—and, in some cases, by department—based on how the content is organized within the Content Management System (CMS). These materials are shared via a Microsoft Teams folder. Please contact Xaymara Prothro at prothrox@uhcl.edu or Jaime Bober at bober@uhcl.edu if you do not already have access.
The Web-Based Accessibility audit inventory spreadsheet should be used to indicate whether each file should be marked as:
- "Keep As-Is" - document already passes accessibily checks; no further action is required.
- "Convert to Webpage" - your web editor will then need to move the content from the document into either an existing web page, or submit a Web Team Work Request for a new page to be created.
- "Cut" - if there are subscribers, your web editor will need to remove the links to the document from the referring pages before the Web Team can delete the document.
- "Archival Exception" - reserved only for historical documents that are not needed for current information; no further action required.
The shared Microsoft Teams folder also provides access to:
- A video on how to check PDFs and Word files for accessibility and how to remediate issues
- A refresher video for department and division web editors on updating PDFs on the website
Who To Contact
Document Remediation Help
If you would like accessibility training or one-on-one assistance, contact via e-mail the Electronic Information Resources Accessibility Coordinator (EIRAC) at contreras@uhcl.edu or by phone at 281-283-2470. To support digital accessibility compliance, the Accessibility Support Center is also available for consultation.
University Website Audit Process
For access to your department's audit inventory for documents found on the www.uhcl.edu website, contact Xaymara Prothro at prothrox@uhcl.edu or Jaime Bober at bober@uhcl.edu.
Converting Documents To Web Page Content
For new web page creation requests, submit a Web Team Work Request.