Our Commitment to Digital Access for All

Accessibility is about care and respect for every Jaguar—our students, faculty, staff, and guests. It reflects our commitment to a welcoming environment where learning has no barriers. Designing courses and digital content that are accessible from the start sends a clear message: at the University of South Alabama (henceforth “University”), we believe that every person deserves full and equal access to the educational experience.

We are committed to meeting the ADA Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, but beyond compliance, we know that accessible design is simply the right thing to do. We are engaged in a university-wide effort to make that commitment a reality—in our classrooms, in our online environments, and across all of our digital content.

Digital access the USA Way:

The University's commitment to opportunity, access, and student success is at the heart of everything we do. By embedding current accessibility standards into how we teach, design, and communicate, we support all members of the University community in reaching their full potential. We uphold our mission of academic excellence and affirm that a truly welcoming university is one where every person—regardless of ability—can fully participate and thrive.

The goals of digital access for all are:

• to proactively build a culture that reflects the University's core values represented in the USA Way;
• to ensure that every student, faculty member, staff member, and visitor experiences a digital environment that is welcoming, navigable, and equitable;
• to ensure compliance with the ADA Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1; and
• to equip faculty and staff with the tools, training, and support needed to create and maintain accessible content.

Supporting units:

University Web Services, a division of the Computer Services Center (CSC), is responsible for the development and maintenance of the University of South Alabama's webpages. The team offers a variety of services, including website development, hosting, SEO, accessibility, web quality assurance and analytics, content layout, CMS integration, training, and web publishing support.

The Innovation in Learning Center (ILC) is the University’s primary resource for faculty seeking to build accessible, inclusive courses. The ILC offers guidance on accessible course design across a range of formats—Canvas course content, PDFs, video, and web materials—grounded in the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Through consultations with instructional designers, hands-on workshops, and on-demand resources, the ILC helps faculty move from awareness to action. Whether you are building a new course or reviewing existing materials, the ILC is ready to assist you.