Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Message from the President

Dear Colleagues,

It’s hard to imagine (or remember, for those of us who are beyond a certain age!) a time that we did not work, write, teach, or learn through the digital ecosystem. We communicate, exchange data, connect, educate ourselves, and more—all through digital means. As a result, it is now essential to ensure that every current or future member of our community can access our digital activities.

To achieve digital accessibility, all individuals must have equal access, and all obstacles must be removed for students, employees, and people with disabilities. Importantly, it demonstrates our dedication to making material comprehensible and accessible while also ensuring that individuals with visual, auditory, or other sensory impairments can access and learn from the digital content that we create.

The new Title II ruling of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was passed on April 24, 2024, requires that all digital, mobile, and web material from public organizations adhere to WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.1 Level AA standards. This is applicable to all our digital activities, including our university web pages, Workday, our Canvas classes, social media, our electronic enrollment tools, digitally stored documents, and more. Accessibility for individuals with disabilities will be guaranteed by these updates and modifications, and the University of New Orleans may also be subject to legal action if these requirements are not met.

Fulfilling these requirements is a campus-wide endeavor. Systemic adjustments to many of our workflows will be necessary. April 2026 is the deadline for compliance, and the requirement’s broad reach emphasizes the necessity of coordinating accountability, training, and governance across all digital interactions.

For some months, Mike Esordi has been coordinating with a small group of content creators and IT professionals throughout the UL system to enact a plan and begin to take steps toward implementation. I am extremely grateful to Mike for his leadership and his dedication to accessibility. For the next 6 months, many more of us will need to assist as we endeavor to guarantee timely implementation. Considering this, please be aware of any assignments that may come your way and try to make them a priority. I am confident that our UNO community is capable of the strong teamwork needed to achieve digital ADA compliance.

With Privateer Pride,

Kathy Johnson, Ph.D. 
President, University of New Orleans