Accessibility Deadline Update
June 2, 2026
The federal digital accessibility deadline for UC Davis has been extended to April 26, 2027. While the deadline has changed, accessibility remains a systemwide priority. UCOP expects all campuses to continue making measurable progress.
Teams across our division have already made significant progress improving websites, documents, forms, presentations, videos and other digital content. The additional time gives us an opportunity to continue that work thoughtfully while building accessibility into our everyday practices.
Thank you to everyone contributing to this effort. Change is happening because of you!
Guidance for accessible digital content
Web accessibility has always been a priority within FOA because it reflects our commitment to making services, information and resources available to everyone. That work is informed by shared best practices, University of California accessibility policy, and state and federal laws.
This site provides an overview of where we are now and how FOA staff members can help support continued compliance across our websites and digital resources.
What Has Changed
Federal rules now require state and local governments, including public universities, to ensure websites, mobile apps and digital content meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards.
Compliance is required by April 26, 2027 for UC Davis.
What This Means for FOA
FOA has been incorporating accessibility practices into its 40+ websites and content for many years. Current efforts are focused on aligning existing work with the updated federal requirements and ensuring that remaining gaps are addressed in a consistent, sustainable way.
This is a continuation of ongoing work, not a sudden or unexpected shift.
Key Areas of Focus
Support and guidance for common content types and activities, with practical steps you can take to support accessibility.
Where FOA Is Today
FOA is in a strong position to continue improving accessibility as the May 11, 2026 deadline approaches.
- Baseline - Most FOA websites already meet core accessibility requirements.
- Platform - Accessibility features are built into SiteFarm, the campus content management system used for FOA websites.
- Assessment - Accessibility reviews are underway using campus-supported tools like Siteimprove and manual evaluation.
- Prioritization - Remediation work is being prioritized based on impact, feasibility and user experience.
Accessibility Status and Remediation at FOA
FOA is taking a structured, realistic approach to meeting federal accessibility requirements by April 2026. This page provides a high-level overview of how accessibility issues are identified, evaluated and addressed across our websites.
How Accessibility Issues Are identified
We use a combination of:
- Automated scanning tools including Siteimprove, provided by the UC Office of the President.
- Manual review of pages and content.
- Editor and staff feedback.
Automated tools are used to identify potential issues. Findings are reviewed to determine whether action is required and what remediation is feasible.
Understanding Accessibility Findings
Accessibility findings are commonly grouped into categories such as:
- WCAG Level A and AA
Core accessibility requirements that are actionable within page content. - ARIA-related findings
Often tied to underlying content management system (SiteFarm) or template code that FOA does not control. - Best-practice recommendations
Suggestions that may improve accessibility, but are not formal compliance requirements.
Not all findings require remediation, and not all findings can be addressed at the site or page level.
What We Are Prioritizing
Remediation efforts focus on:
- High-traffic and high-impact pages.
- Issues that affect users’ ability to access information or services.
- Items that can be addressed through content updates or SiteFarm-supported features.
This prioritization helps ensure that time and effort are spent where they matter most.
Summary
- Accessibility work is ongoing and structured.
- FOA is not starting from scratch.
- Progress is being tracked and reviewed over time.
- Effort is focused on meaningful improvements rather than raw scores from Siteimprove.
This approach supports compliance while avoiding unnecessary disruption.
Siteimprove FAQ
- How important is the overall score when calculating accessibility conformance?
The composite score combines several categories, including items we can’t directly control, such as underlying SiteFarm code. We focus on the specific accessibility issues that affect users and can be addressed within our websites.
Within Siteimprove's accessibility overview panels, scores are broken down by WCAG Level A, WCAG Level AA, WAI-ARIA, and best practices. For the purposes of the April 2026 requirements, our focus is primarily on improvements that would fall within the Level A and Level AA scores.
Example of a SiteImprove Accessibility Score dashboard for the FOA website. The Level A and Level AA scores are most closely tied to the updated federal requirements. - What is the "ARIA" score?
- ARIA findings are largely tied to template-level code that FOA doesn’t have the ability to modify. These items are monitored, but they don’t reflect the accessibility of page content created by FOA staff members. For more information about ARIA, visit W3C's ARIA Techniques for WCAG 2.0 webpage.
- Why isn't our overall score 100%?
Automated tools like Siteimprove flag potential issues, not confirmed failures. Our goal is meaningful accessibility for users, which may not include a response to all of the Siteimprove system's automated warnings.
Example of a Siteimprove accessibility score dashboard for the FOA website. The Level A and Level AA scores are most closely tied to the updated federal requirements. - What about our website's "Quality Assurance" score?
- Siteimprove reports on several areas. Right now, we’re focused specifically on accessibility findings related to federal requirements. Other categories are important, but they’re outside the scope of the current compliance effort.