Have you ever wondered what “accessibility” really means? You’re not alone. You might not realize it, but we all rely on the benefits of accessibility every day. Each time you walk through an automatic door, wear glasses, turn on closed captions, or activate a device with, “Hey, Siri,” you use assistive technology. These assistive tools guarantee us equal access to places and information.
Accessibility for all
All people are legally guaranteed information accessibility. It’s important to know how the law affects your work at Texas State. These legal guarantees translate into website and document design elements like properly formatted headers, correctly labeled links, alternative text for images, legible text size and font, and sufficient background contrast.
Access University updated to help
Level Access, a leading provider of digital accessibility resources, contracts with The Texas Department of Information Resources to provide free learning to all state employees. Access University, the Level Access online learning platform, has been updated to offer timely digital accessibility coaching on topics relevant to you, such as PDF accessibility, InDesign training, designer training, software developer training, regulatory topics, empathy training, and more.
Become an accessibility ally
Access University’s resources are free for faculty and staff, and registration is easy! Simply email your request to Level Access. The DOIT Accessibility website has instructions for requesting your Level Access account and provides clear guidance on learning topics once you’ve registered.
Ally for one, ally for all
Every Bobcat deserves the chance to engage with information we provide. Access University is here to help. Let’s work together to give users of all abilities an equal opportunity to access our digital content. For more information, please email our electronic information resources accessibility coordinator at eiraccesscoord@txstate.edu.
Evan Pickrel is electronic information resources accessibility coordinator in Texas State’s Division of Information Technology.
