Archived Content

Before creating and sharing any digital content, digital documents and forms, it is essential and required by law that these materials are designed to be fully accessible. This means that our digital content must adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the best way to meet this standard is by following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. In limited situations, some kinds of web content and content in mobile apps do not have to meet WCAG 2.1, Level AA, though in Rice's commitment to digital accessibility for all, we will work directly to address any accessibility requests related to archived and exceptional content.

Archived Content

Note: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II regulations, archived web content is exempt from WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards only if it strictly meets very specific criteria in their entirety.

The U.S. government defines archived web content as:

  1. The content was created before the date the state or local government must comply with this rule, or reproduces paper documents or the contents of other physical media (audiotapes, film negatives, and CD-ROMs for example) that were created before the government must comply with this rule, AND
  2. The content is kept only for reference, research, or recordkeeping, AND
  3. The content is kept in a special area for archived content, AND
  4. The content has not been changed since it was archived.

Examples of such content includes Fondren Library's Rice University Archives, archived documents hosted by Rice's numerous provostial institutes, and archived course materials found within Rice's learning management system, Canvas. Please note that content under this exception must strictly adhere to all four of the aforementioned qualities of archived web content. Please note that if you encounter a digital accessibility issue with archived content, please email us or complete our form.

We will post guidelines for creating archived content soon.

Please Connect with the Digital Accessibility Team to request guidance about archival use cases and strategies.

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Other Exceptional Content

Additional types of web content may be exempt from WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards based on criteria outlined on official government pages (see Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II regulations for more information). Please note that if you encounter a digital accessibility issue with exceptional content, please email us or complete our form.

Please Connect with the Digital Accessibility Team to request guidance about use cases and strategies.

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