Information should be available and accessible for everyone, including users with disabilities. Equal access to information is not only ethical, it is required by law. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires state & local governments and places of business to adhere to reasonable website accessibility standards.

The good news is that the VSU website was built from the ground up with accessibility in mind. We are ADA compliant in that we sufficiently adhere to WCAG. There is always room for improvement though, which is why we are asking faculty for help keeping the VSU website accessible!

Some examples of failed accessibility standards are below:

1. When your images do not have alternate text.
   Alternate text must be added when you upload images that aren’t purely decorative. Use a sentence or two to describe the important aspects of the image like you would if you were describing it to someone who couldn’t see it.
2. When your page contains items that contrast poorly.
   This is generally not a problem as our website modules were built specifically to prevent contrast issues, but if you add dark text to a dark background OR light text to a light background, you will trigger accessibility flags.
3. Using color only to convey information.
   How do you tell whether a link is a link? For most users, using only color is sufficient. However, users who have difficulty seeing or distinguishing color might not be able to. Underline your links OR use language like “click here” to indicate a clickable link.
4. Using overly complicated content.
   The average high school student reads at the 9th-grade level. If you write content for public-facing pages, especially those that have to do with undergraduate admissions, your content should be easily understandable by a high school freshman.

The most important thing to remember is that accessibility isn’t just a legal requirement—it’s about making sure everyone can access and use our website with ease. While the VSU site is already designed with accessibility in mind, we’re always striving to do better. Your input and collaboration are key to improving accessibility for all. Let’s work together to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability, can navigate and benefit from all of our available resources!