Web Accessibility

This site serves as the university's hub for information regarding web accessibility, including information on how content editors and site owners can ensure that their web sites are following accessibility guidelines. Web accessibility includes content, page structure, images, videos, documents, and color usage.

Web accessibility is the practice of ensuring your web site works for all people, including people with disabilities. In order to achieve this, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 was created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). WCAG 2.0 are a set of principles that help make the web more accessible. The four main principles of WCAG 2.0 are:

  1. Perceivable: Users can perceive information presented through either a web browser or a screen reader
  2. Operable: Users can operate the interface with a variety of tools such as a mouse, keyboard or assistive device
  3. Understandable: Content and flow of site can be understood by users and is logical
  4. Robust: Users can access content across various platforms, browsers, and devices of personal choice

Together these four main principles spell out an easy to remember acronym: POUR.

Who Benefits



Web accessibility encompasses a wide array of disabilities that affects how one interacts with the web. These include:

  • Auditory
  • Cognitive
  • Neurological
  • Physical
  • Speech
  • Visual

By following WCAG 2.0, web accessibility also benefits those without disabilities, for example:

  • People with "temporary disabilities" such as a broken arm
  • People with slow internet speeds
  • People who are experiencing changing abilities due to age
  • People with "situational limitations" such as being in an environment where they cannot listen to audio
  • People using different types of devices such as mobile phones, smart watches, tablets, etc.


Our Commitment



By law we are required to comply with the The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 508), as well as provide individuals with equal access to programs, services and activities. This institution is required by law under Section 508 to ensure that websites and any third-party applications (linked or integrated) be accessible.

The university understands that lack of awareness can accidentally exclude a portion of the population from online activity. When creating websites, we strive to keep website accessibility in mind.

 

Experiencing Inaccessible Sites?



We strive to ensure that the CU Denver and CU Anschutz websites are accessible to people with disabilities. If you experience a barrier that affects your ability to access information or edit parts of the website then you can send a detailed email to websitehelp@ucdenver.edu.

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