Digital Accessibility Resources

Digital Accessibility at Rausser College

Between 15 and 25 percent of the population lives with a disability, and many of those people rely on assistive technologies to navigate digital content, but those tools only work when the content itself has been built with accessibility in mind. Rausser College and UC Berkeley are committed to ensuring that all websites, tools, and technologies are designed so everyone—including people with visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor disabilities—can engage with our content, programs, and services.

The guidance and resources posted on this page are designed to help Rausser College staff understand the requirements for digital accessibility at UC Berkeley and how they interact with our systems and workflows. 

NOTE: Accessibility requirements are constantly evolving. For up-to-date information, visit the Digital Accessibility Program website.

Accessibility Basics

UC Berkeley—and, by extension, Rausser College—is committed to making its websites and other online content accessible to all individuals. The policies and procedures specified by Berkeley’s Digital Accessibility Program are designed to meet the requirements specified in the University of California IT Accessibility Policy and a judicially supervised Consent Decree between UC Berkeley and the United States Department of Justice. 

What is covered under the policy?

Beginning April 24, 2026, all content created by Rausser College staff or published to a digital platform representing any Rausser College departments, offices, programs, divisions, or academic/organized research units should adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standards. These are an internationally recognized framework used by businesses, government agencies, and other groups to ensure digital content is accessible to all people.

Platforms and content types subject to WCAG 2.1 AA include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • All websites and web content, regardless of the audience or password protection
  • Digital documents like PDFs, Word files, spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, etc
  • Emails and newsletters, including those sent by third-party tools (i.e., Mailchimp, Marketing Cloud, etc.)
  • Videos and podcast episodes hosted on YouTube, Vimeo, Spotify, or other third-party platforms
  • Posts on social media platforms (i.e., X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)

What is required?

For those new to accessibility, DAP has identified 10 basic web accessibility concepts that all digital content creators should be aware of. These concepts apply in different ways, depending on the content type and platform, and are briefly described below.

  • Color should never be the sole means of conveying information, and text must meet minimum contrast ratios to remain readable for users with low vision.
  • All meaningful images require descriptive alt text so that screen readers can convey their content.
  • Headings must follow a logical hierarchy and accurately describe the content that follows, giving screen reader users a navigable structure to move through a page.
  • Data tables require properly marked header cells so assistive technologies can communicate the relationship between a cell and its row or column label.
  • Link text must be descriptive enough to make sense on its own, without relying on surrounding context to explain where it leads.
  • Content should be written clearly and simply to be understandable by the widest possible audience.
  • Lists should be coded properly as either ordered or unordered lists so screen readers can announce their structure and length to users.
  • All page functionality must be operable by keyboard alone, with a visible focus indicator that is never trapped on any part of the page.
  • All prerecorded videos require accurate, synchronized captions; auto-generated captions must be reviewed and corrected before publishing.
  • Audio-only content must be accompanied by a full-text transcript that captures all spoken content and relevant non-speech audio.

Websites

All UC Berkeley (berkeley.edu) sites must be hosted on a platform capable of creating accessible content, and all content hosted on these sites must meet the WCAG 2.1 AA content requirements.

Currently, websites for the College and its five departments are hosted on Open Berkeley, a fully-managed solution designed to be accessible and to make it easy for content editors to create accessible content. These sites will be transitioned to a successor platform, Berkeley Web Builder, later this year. 

If your unit is not hosted by Open Berkeley/Berkeley Web Builder, please consult DAP’s website requirements to ensure your site meets the campus’ accessibility requirements.

Relevant Web Resources

Digital Documents

All digital documents created on or after April 24, 2026, must meet WCAG 2.1 AA requirements. These include, but are not limited to: 

  • Any PDF document
  • Word processing documents created in Google Docs or Microsoft Word
  • Slide decks/presentations created in Google Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Spreadsheets created in Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel

Exceptions

A limited number of exceptions to the policy are available for the following content types:

  • Individual, password-protected documents
  • Content posted by a third party (i.e., stories/blogs by external news organizations)
  • Any PDF, spreadsheet, or word processing document that was created before April 24, 2026, and meets all of the following criteria:
    • The content is kept only for reference, research, or recordkeeping, AND
    • The content is kept in a special area for archived content, AND
    • The content has not been changed since it was archived.

Important: All content used to apply for, access, or participate in Rausser College/UC Berkeley services, programs, or activities must be accessible and meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards by April 24, 2026.

Social Media

As part of the new requirements, all content posted to any social media account representing belonging to a Rausser College department, office, program, division, or academic/organized research unit must comply with the WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines.

Alt text is now required for all image posts

Every image you post should include descriptive and accurate alternative text that briefly conveys its main purpose. Many platforms generate alt text automatically, but auto-generated descriptions should always be reviewed for accuracy and context before publishing. 

Several platforms (X, Threads, Facebook Stories, and Bluesky) do not allow you to edit alt text after a post goes live. Because of this, we recommend preparing your alt text before posting on social media.

Image descriptions 

In addition to alt text, DAP recommends including a written image description of each image or graphic after the post caption. Descriptions should cover the purpose, context, and content of the image, and if the image contains text, that text should be spelled out in the description.

Try to avoid posting or sharing images with text

Assistive technologies cannot recognize or convert text in images. If you do share an image with text (like a flyer, event invite, or lecture announcement), be sure to include the text in the alt text or the image description.

Video captions are now required for all social videos

All videos posted to social media need accurate captions. While closed captions are generally considered the most accessible, not every platform supports them. If closed captions aren't available, burned-in captions (that comply with color/contrast requirements) are required. DAP also recommends including a brief video covering important visual elements in the order they appear.