March 10, 2026: Open Agenda [2 topics discussed]

Digital Accessibility Implementation Plans

• Bryan Jonker: With the Title II Update deadline approaching, how are people documenting what needs to be done with the websites they maintain? What goes into the implementation plan and how detailed should it get?
• Beth Sheehan: trying to figure out where we’re at; haven’t written up formal plan in unit yet; working from a remediation progress spreadsheet
• Dick Detzner: we don't have a documented plan for each of our units; guidance provided more informally to update for accessibility
• Jessica Roedelbronn: I've been making updates to our website (documents accessible etc) but didn't realize I should have a documented Implementation Plan? Is the Implementation Plan really just for our use (person who makes all the changes), or will this be "turned in" and kept on file somewhere at University?
  • Michael McKelvey: to my knowledge, use of this Implementation Plan template is not a top-down mandate; it's meant for internal use to help units have a process for planning and tracking their accessibility remediation process.
• Bryan: what granularity should this Implementation Plan aim for? College, Department, Unit? Some colleges are larger than others; is a massive Implementation Plan document with tons of stakeholders helpful or too diffuse?
  • Michael: may depend on size? College of LAS is much larger than College of Education - may want to do it for each LAS department, plus additional plan for LAS as a whole?
  • Carey Applegate: Document note: My tech-writing brain would want all of the information in one document but with an exec summary and then sections that apply to different areas and stakeholders. Part 1 w/course focus, Part 2 with main education site, etc. One source of truth and all that.
  • Split out action-oriented information into separate documents for the implementers of a particular section?
  • Ann Fredricksen: I like one document for how to do remediation/what are the standards. Then there is one thing to maintain and everyone is using the same information. For units that need special information (for whatever reason) then they can have an additional document. That's my opinion, I can't say that I've heard anything from my college.
• Kevin Merrifield: working to schedule meeting between all of Engineering IT and Nick. Have been working on accessibility remediation for websites in the meantime
• Bryan: Implementation Plan may also be helpful beyond accessibility - branding, keeping track of website assets, etc.
• Jacob: for archival materials with a note that an accessible version is available upon request, is there a workflow that outlines how an accessible request is submitted and provided to a person that has requested an alternative?
  • Make sure that the method of contact is clear (email address or contact form) and that the materials are clearly marked as archived.
  • Jacob: also a timely response, that includes all appropriate stakeholders, would be important in order to get a version to the requestor.
  • Bryan: note that such requests are uncommon
• Jack Thomas: it's unclear to me whether something can be viewable/downloadable but still also be classified as archived. I see in the document on the screen that it can’t be publicly available. But I’m not sure that that is “correct”?
  • Michael and Bryan: our understanding is that an item can be both available on a public website and considered archived, as long as it's very clearly marked and ideally separated out from other content.
  • May need further clarification on the specific boundaries of the Title II archival exception - perhaps a good topic for next ITAL meeting? Will submit that recommendation.
• Jack: also note that an archive for Title II is not what we think of as an archive in a research university setting.

Menu items on mobile

• Where to put focus when user leaves menu (i.e. presses <tab> while on final item in menu?
• Amanda Covher: recommend going to Close button, leave menu open
• Jack Thomas and Courtney Fleeger agree with this assessment