Compliance Plan: ADA Title II Digital Accessibility
This compliance plan is a high-level process for our departments and 46 schools and programs to use in complying with digital accessibility updates to the ADA Title II ruling by our federal deadline of April 26, 2027. This plan is an action-oriented approach to addressing content in need of assessment or remediation while recommending best practices for future content creation.
Build Awareness and Understanding
Creating and maintaining accessible digital content is a shared responsibility across Canyons School District. Every employee plays a role in ensuring that digital information, resources, and learning experiences are accessible to individuals with disabilities. All employees are encouraged to explore the CSD Digital Accessibility Website to better understand what digital accessibility means, why it matters, and how it relates to their daily work. The website provides practical guides, best practices, checklists, tools, and resources to help employees create, review, and improve accessible digital content.
Our Goal: Help every CSD employee understand their role in digital accessibility and develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to create and maintain accessible content as part of their everyday work.
Our Approach to Professional Learning
CSD recognizes that building accessibility knowledge and skills takes time. Rather than treating accessibility as a one-time compliance training, the district will provide ongoing professional learning opportunities that help employees gradually build confidence and incorporate accessibility into their everyday work. Our professional learning approach follows four stages:
- Learn — Build Awareness and Understanding
Develop a foundational understanding of digital accessibility, why it matters, CSD’s responsibilities and expectations, and the practices that help make digital content accessible. - Apply — Build Practical Skills
Learn how to apply accessibility practices to everyday tools and content, including documents, PDFs, presentations, websites, Canvas courses, videos, forms, social media, and digital communications. - Support — Build Districtwide Capacity
Provide additional learning opportunities for district specialists, directors, administrators, instructional coaches, and other leaders so they can reinforce accessibility practices and support employees in their work. - Sustain — Make Accessibility Part of Everyday Practice
Integrate accessibility into regular workflows through ongoing professional learning, bite-sized training, self-assessment tools, practical resources, and continued support.
Identify & Evaluate Digital Content
Creating accessible digital content starts with understanding what already exists and identifying areas that may need improvement. As Canyons School District works toward the April 26, 2027, ADA Title II compliance deadline, all employees who create, manage, or share digital content have a role in reviewing their materials for accessibility.
CSD’s district and school websites will be evaluated by Information Technology (IT) and the Office of Public Communications using accessibility scanning tools. When potential accessibility issues are identified, content owners will be notified and provided with guidance and support to address them. However, accessibility extends beyond district websites. Employees are also responsible for reviewing the digital documents, instructional materials, communications, and other content they create or maintain to identify potential accessibility barriers.
What Digital Content Should Be Reviewed?
Digital accessibility applies to a wide range of content, tools, and platforms used throughout the district. Employees should consider the following when reviewing their digital materials:
- Websites and Web Applications: District and school websites, webpages, online forms, and web-based applications.
- Documents and Files: PDFs, Microsoft Word and Google Docs documents, presentations, spreadsheets, flyers, and other digital resources.
- Third-Party Platforms: District-used services such as Canvas, Skyward Qmlativ, RevTrak, Peachjar, Parchment, ParentSquare, and other external applications.
- Employee Resources and Systems: Internal portals, curriculum resources, HR materials, payroll information, and other employee-facing digital content.
- Online Courses and Instructional Materials: Content shared through Canvas, Google Classroom, Buzz, and other learning management systems.
- Video and Multimedia: Instructional videos, recordings, audio files, and other multimedia resources.
- Social Media: Posts, images, videos, and other content shared through district and school social media accounts.
- Digital Communications: Emails, newsletters, ParentSquare messages, Skyward Qmlativ communications, and other electronic messages.
- Events, Meetings, and Trainings: Digital presentations, shared materials, virtual meetings, recorded sessions, and online training resources.
Start by Reviewing Current Content
Before making changes, take time to evaluate existing digital content and determine what needs to be updated, maintained, or removed.
- Identify Content: Review the digital materials created, shared, or maintained. Consider websites, documents, online courses, communications, and other resources used by students, families, employees, or the community.
- Determine What Is Still Needed: Identify outdated, duplicate, or unused content that can be removed or appropriately archived. Certain preexisting documents and archived materials may qualify for exceptions under ADA Title II, but specific conditions must be met.
- Consider the Best Format: Determine whether information needs to remain in a document, such as a PDF, or could be shared more accessibly as a webpage. Whenever practical, consider using accessible webpage content instead of requiring users to open or download a separate file.
- Prioritize High-Impact Content: Begin with frequently accessed materials and resources that are essential for participating in district programs, services, and activities. Examples include important public-facing webpages, commonly used documents, instructional materials, and content serving large audiences.
- Check for Accessibility Barriers: Review your content for common accessibility issues, such as missing alternative text, poor color contrast, unclear headings, inaccessible tables, or videos without captions.
- Document Areas for Improvement: Keep track of content that needs attention so you can prioritize updates and monitor your progress.
Make Your Digital Content Accessible
Once digital content has been reviewed and potential accessibility barriers identified, the next step is to make improvements. Creating accessible content doesn’t mean starting over. In many cases, small changes can make a significant difference in how people access, understand, and interact with digital information.
Canyons School District encourages employees to take a practical, gradual approach to improving accessibility. Focus on addressing identified issues, prioritizing frequently used and essential materials, and incorporating accessibility best practices into both existing and newly created content.
Start Making Improvements
- Prioritize What Matters Most: Begin with content that is essential for students, families, employees, and the community to access district programs, services, and activities. Focus on frequently used materials and content with significant accessibility barriers.
- Address Common Accessibility Issues: Many barriers can be resolved by making straightforward changes, such as adding alternative text to images, applying proper heading styles, improving color contrast, creating descriptive links, organizing tables, and adding captions to videos.
- Use the Right Tools and Resources: Visit the CSD Digital Accessibility Website for practical how-to guides, checklists, examples, and resources specific to the tools and content you use.
- Improve Existing Content: Update documents, presentations, webpages, online courses, and other materials that need attention. When appropriate, consider recreating content in a more accessible format rather than trying to repair a difficult or highly visual document.
- Build Accessibility Into New Content: Apply accessibility practices from the beginning whenever creating new materials. Using accessible templates, built-in formatting tools, and consistent design practices can reduce the need for corrections later.
- Check Improvements: After making changes, review your content again to ensure the identified barriers have been addressed. Use available accessibility checkers, manual review, and keyboard or assistive technology testing when appropriate.
Keep Accessibility in Mind Moving Forward
Improving accessibility is not just about correcting existing content. It’s also about changing how we create and share information moving forward. As you develop new materials, make accessibility part of your regular process rather than something you check only after the content is finished.
Make Accessibility Part of Everyday Practice
Digital accessibility is an ongoing responsibility, not a one-time project or compliance requirement. As Canyons School District works toward meeting ADA Title II requirements, our goal is to establish practices that help ensure digital content remains accessible long after the compliance deadline. Maintaining accessibility requires continued awareness, regular review, and a commitment to creating accessible content from the beginning. By incorporating accessibility into everyday workflows, employees can help prevent new barriers and reduce the need for future corrections.
Build Accessibility Into Everyday Work
Accessibility should become a natural part of how we create, review, update, and share digital content.
- Create with Accessibility in Mind: Apply accessibility best practices from the beginning when developing documents, presentations, webpages, online courses, communications, and other digital materials. Making content accessible from the start is often easier than correcting issues later.
- Check Before Sharing: Make accessibility checks part of the process before publishing or distributing content. Use built-in accessibility checkers, self-assessment tools, and CSD resources to identify potential barriers.
- Review and Update Regularly: Periodically review frequently used materials, websites, online courses, and other digital resources to ensure they remain accessible. Recheck content whenever significant changes or updates are made.
- Use Accessible Templates and Tools: Whenever possible, use district-approved templates, built-in accessibility features, and established best practices to maintain consistency and reduce common accessibility issues.
- Continue Learning: Take advantage of ongoing professional learning opportunities, including bite-sized training, practical tips, how-to guides, and other resources to strengthen accessibility knowledge and skills.
- Share Knowledge and Support Others: Encourage collaboration among colleagues, instructional coaches, administrators, district specialists, teachers, and support teams. Share successful practices, ask questions, and help others identify solutions to accessibility challenges.
- Report and Address Accessibility Concerns: When accessibility barriers are identified or reported, work with the appropriate district teams to resolve them. Feedback from students, families, employees, and community members can help identify issues that may not be detected through routine accessibility checks.
Maintain Accessibility Across District Systems and Content
Accessibility is a shared responsibility that extends beyond individual documents and webpages. As digital tools, platforms, and district practices evolve, accessibility must remain part of ongoing planning and decision-making.
CSD schools, departments and teams should continue to:
- Consider accessibility when selecting, purchasing, or implementing new digital tools and platforms.
- Review accessibility when updating websites, applications, instructional materials, and other digital resources.
- Work with vendors and district support teams to address identified accessibility concerns.
- Establish consistent practices for responding to accessibility issues and requests for assistance.
- Use feedback and evaluation results to guide future improvements and professional learning.
What are the Exceptions?
Archived Web Content
Certain archived web content may be exempt from the new digital accessibility requirements under ADA Title II. To qualify for this exception, all four of the following conditions must be met:
- Created Before the Compliance Date: The content was created before April 26, 2027.
- Retained for Reference: The content is kept only for reference, research, or recordkeeping purposes.
- Stored in an Archive: The content is maintained in a dedicated area of the website that is clearly identified as an archive.
- Not Modified: The content has not been changed since it was archived.
Important Considerations
- Clearly Identify Archived Content: Websites must have a dedicated, clearly labeled archive area. Simply labeling an individual document or webpage as “archived” is not sufficient.
- Meet All Four Conditions: Moving content into an archive does not automatically make it exempt. All four conditions must be met.
- Do Not Modify Archived Content: Content that qualifies for this exception must remain unchanged. Modifying it after archiving means it no longer qualifies for the exception.
- New Content Must Be Accessible: Content created on or after April 26, 2027, must meet applicable accessibility requirements unless another exception applies.
- Provide Accessible Versions When Requested: Even when archived content qualifies for an exception, the district may still be required to provide an accessible version to individuals who need it.
- Include a Way to Request Access: Each archive area should include clear instructions for requesting accessible versions of content. The district should also have a process for responding to these requests in a timely manner.
Remember: Archiving content does not automatically exempt it from accessibility requirements. All four conditions must be met, and the district remains responsible for ensuring individuals with disabilities can access information when needed.
Pre-Existing Electronic Documents
Certain documents published before the ADA Title II compliance deadline may be exempt from the new digital accessibility requirements. To qualify for this exception, both of the following conditions must be met:
- Document Type: The content is a word processing document, presentation, PDF, or spreadsheet.
- Published Before the Compliance Date: The document was available on a CSD website or mobile app before April 26, 2027.
Important Considerations
- Documents Still in Use Must Be Accessible: Older documents are not exempt if they are currently used to apply for, access, or participate in district services, programs, or activities. This includes instructional materials used in classrooms, such as documents shared through Canvas.
- Modifications Remove the Exception: Updating or changing a document after the compliance deadline means it no longer qualifies for this exception.
- New Documents Must Be Accessible: Documents created or published on or after April 26, 2027, must meet applicable accessibility requirements unless another exception applies.
- Accessible Versions May Still Be Required: Even when a document qualifies for this exception, the district may still need to provide an accessible version upon request.
Remember: A document is not automatically exempt simply because it was created before the compliance deadline. If it is still being used to support instruction, communicate important information, or provide access to district programs and services, it must be accessible.
Content Posted by a Third Party
Content posted directly by members of the public on a CSD website or mobile app may be exempt from the new ADA Title II digital accessibility requirements.
Important Considerations
- Public Content May Be Exempt: This exception applies to content posted by members of the public, such as comments submitted by parents or guardians on ParentSquare posts.
- Vendor Content Is Not Automatically Exempt: Content provided or posted by vendors, contractors, or other organizations working on behalf of CSD must meet applicable accessibility requirements.
- Platforms Must Still Be Accessible: The tools and platforms used to collect or display public comments and submissions must meet accessibility requirements. The exception applies to qualifying third-party content, not the platform itself.
- Accessible Versions May Still Be Required: Even when content qualifies for this exception, the district may still need to provide an accessible version or another reasonable accommodation when requested.
Remember: This exception applies to qualifying content posted by members of the public, not content created, provided, or maintained by CSD or its vendors on the district’s behalf.
Individualized Documents that are Password-Protected
Certain password-protected or secured documents may be exempt from the new ADA Title II digital accessibility requirements. To qualify for this exception, all three of the following conditions must be met:
- Document Type: The content is a word processing document, presentation, PDF, or spreadsheet.
- Individualized Information: The document contains information about a specific person, property, or account.
- Restricted Access: The document is password-protected or otherwise secured.
Important Considerations
- Password Protection Alone Is Not Enough: A document does not automatically qualify for this exception simply because it requires a login or password. For example, instructional materials shared through Canvas must still meet applicable accessibility requirements.
- Publicly Distributed Documents Are Not Exempt: This exception does not apply to documents intended for general public use or distribution.
- Accessible Versions May Still Be Required: Even when a document qualifies for this exception, the district may still need to provide an accessible version or reasonable accommodation when requested.
Remember: All three conditions must be met for a document to qualify for this exception. Simply restricting access to a document does not exempt it from accessibility requirements.
Pre-Existing Social Media Posts
Social media posts published before April 26, 2027, may be exempt from the new ADA Title II digital accessibility requirements.
Important Considerations
- New Posts Must Be Accessible: Social media content published on or after April 26, 2027, must meet applicable accessibility requirements.
- Accessible Versions May Still Be Required: Even when older social media posts qualify for this exception, the district may still need to provide accessible information or reasonable accommodations upon request.
Remember: While older social media posts may qualify for an exception, accessibility should be considered when creating all new posts, including images, videos, captions, and other digital content.
