Applies to all CSU Extension State and County level websites:

All CSU-related websites must comply with WCAG standards. More information is available on CSU’s Accessibility website; be sure to check out the page related to Web Developers.

Why?

• It is the right thing to do – we must provide equivalent access to website content and information.
• Protect the University from significant risk from litigation.
• Protect yourselves in the performance of your job duties.

Going forward, every year, ACNS staff will be checking all web pages for accessibility compliance. If found non-compliant, they will send a letter to the department chair expressing the finding, and requesting that the annual performance review be adjusted accordingly for individual(s) in charge of the website.

Web Accessibility Information & Training Resources

• CSU Web Accessibility Training Presentation Slides
• Webinar Presentation – Please contact Ruth Willson to view a recorded web accessibility training webinar from June 30, 2017.
• CSU Policy – Accessibility of Electronic Information and Technologies

Summary of Web Accessibility Requirements

• WAVE-Test: Must pass the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool test. Take measures to remove all red errors and yellow alerts within WAVE.
• ALT-tags: All website images should have descriptive alt-tags associated with them.
• Closed Captioning: All videos containing speech content owned should have closed captioning, or should be marked as “unlisted” (YouTube), and any website links pointing to these videos should be behind a password protected page – not openly available to the public. Password protected web pages must conform to WCAG 2.0 if a person with a disability has requested access or upon any general request.
• Headings: Heading tags should be appropriately used on web pages to form an outline of your content and should be in hierarchical order. Avoid bolding paragraph text in place of a content heading.
• Descriptive Links: Avoid using non-descriptive text such as “Click here” or “Read more” for links; instead, provide a descriptive block of text that an individual will understand while using screen reading software. Also, avoid using long links such as http://youtube.com/some/lengthy/text – instead, use descriptive text such as, “Please enjoy a Star Wars parody, Grocery Store Wars, where Cuke Skywalker learns to use “the farm” and is joined by OB-1 Cannoli, Tofu-D2, C3-Peanuts, Ham Solo, Chew Broccoli, and Princess Lettuce in their fight against Darth Tater.”
• Adjacent/Redundant Links: Avoid using more than one link pointing to the same location within a block of content or within a page.

If you have questions or need help with making your website compliant with accessibility standards, please contact Darrin Goodman or Ruth Willson for assistance.