Accessibility Tip: Accessibility Is Everyone’s Responsibility
Every day, students, employees, and community members rely on digital content to learn, work, and connect with the university. Ensuring that content is accessible helps make those experiences inclusive for everyone.
Creating accessible content is not just the responsibility of one department or team. Accessibility is a shared effort across the university. Anyone who creates or publishes digital content plays an important role in making information accessible.
Why Accessibility Matters
Accessible content helps remove barriers so that everyone can participate fully in learning, communication, and campus life.
Accessibility benefits many users, including:
- People who are blind or have low vision
- People who are deaf or hard of hearing
- People with mobility or cognitive disabilities
- People using mobile devices or slower internet connections
- Anyone who benefits from clear, well-structured content
When accessibility is considered from the beginning, digital content becomes easier to use for everyone.
Accessibility and Our Responsibility
As a public university, Minnesota State Moorhead is committed to providing equal access to information and services. Federal and state laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act require that digital content be accessible to people with disabilities.
Accessibility is not just about meeting legal requirements. It reflects our commitment to inclusion and ensures that students, employees, and community members can fully participate in the university’s programs and services.
Small Actions Make a Big Difference
You don’t need to be a technical expert to help improve accessibility. Many accessibility improvements are simple steps that anyone creating digital content can take.
For example:
- Use headings to organize content clearly
- Add alt text to images
- Use descriptive link text instead of “click here”
- Provide captions for videos
- Use clear, concise language
These small actions can significantly improve how people access and understand information.
Accessibility Is an Ongoing Effort
Accessibility is not a one-time task. As new content is created and technologies evolve, it is important to continue considering accessibility in everyday work.
By making accessibility part of how we create and share information, we can help ensure that digital experiences are inclusive for everyone.
Quick Accessibility Check
Before publishing digital content, ask yourself:
- Is the content organized with clear headings?
- Do images include meaningful alt text?
- Are links descriptive and easy to understand?
Accessibility Tip is a series from the Digital Accessibility group, a subcommittee of the University Technology Committee, sharing practical ways to improve digital accessibility and create more inclusive online experiences at Minnesota State Moorhead.