Countdown to April 2027: The Clock Is Ticking
Welcome to the first edition of Accessibility Bites, your monthly resource providing the tips and tools you need to create digital content that is accessible to everyone. Along the way, we’ll help you prepare for the updated federal ADA Title II digital accessibility requirements that take effect on April 26, 2027.
What is Changing
By April 26, 2027, all of SRJC's public-facing digital content must meet the WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standard.
Digital accessibility ensures every member of our community, students, colleagues, families, visitors, and members of the public, can access, navigate, and engage with information and services we provide. The updated federal requirement gives us a shared deadline and a clear standard, but the purpose is broader: to remove barriers and create a more inclusive digital experience.
What This Means for You
The guidance applies to all SRJC related digital content created or shared by any area of the College. This includes departments, programs, offices, and student organizations.
All content below must be digitally accessible:
- Documents — PDFs, Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Web content — department and program web pages
- Forms and online applications
- Social media posts and graphics
- Flyers and promotional materials
- Videos (captions and audio descriptions)
- Mobile apps and other platforms
The good news
Once it becomes a habit, most of what makes a document accessible takes only a few extra seconds, and leads to an improved work product: Microsoft researchers state that 70% of consumers — with or without disabilities — use accessibility features in their daily work. That's the idea behind this Accessibility Bites newsletter — small changes to make a big impact.
We're excited to announce a full redesign of the Digital Accessibility site — your go-to resource for making SRJC's digital content accessible to everyone.
The refreshed site makes it easier than ever to find what you need, with a clear four-step path:
- Roadmap to Accessibility – start here to plan your approach
- Concepts – self-paced fundamentals for images, structure, color, tables, and more
- Guides – step-by-step instructions for the tools you use every day, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Drupal
- Other Resources – trainings, tools, and the newsletter archive
Whether you're building a webpage, formatting a Word doc, or designing a flyer, the redesigned site has guidance tailored to your work. Need personalized help? Book time with the Online Accessibility Coordinator or visit access.santarosa.edu to explore.
Meet Your Accessibility Support Team
Information Technology (IT)
IT supports the accessibility of college systems, websites, platforms, and procurement. They can help with questions about web content, third-party tools, and technical compliance.
Contact: Dana Throckmorton, Online Accessibility Coordinator dthrockmorton@santarosa.edu
Request help: Submit a Topdesk ticket
Distance Education (DE)
DE's accessibility specialists help with making documents, course materials, and Canvas content accessible. They offer consultations, training, and one-on-one help.
Contact: the Distance Education Team specialist for your area of need
Learn more: at the DE accessibility self-help page
Request Help: via the DE Help Request Forms
This Month's Call to Action: Take an Accessible Documents Training Course
If you create Word, PowerPoint, Excel, or PDF documents as part of your job, this is the single most useful thing you can do between now and April:
Sign up for the free WebAIM "Accessible Documents: Word, PowerPoint & Acrobat" on-demand course.
This self-paced, video-based course is provided at no cost to all California Community Colleges faculty and staff through the CCC Technology Center. It covers creating, evaluating, and optimizing accessible documents in Word and PowerPoint, optimizing PDFs in Adobe Acrobat, and includes a bonus Excel accessibility module.