Compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards is required by federal nondiscrimination laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Rice University uses WCAG 2.1 Level AA as its standards for Policy 851. WCAG consist of four principles, perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust, that form the acronym POUR. Each of these Principles contain Guidelines, the basic goals to work toward, and each of these Guidelines contain Success Criteria, which are the actual, testable criteria used to assess accessibility.
Watch the Designing for Accessibility with POUR video below for a quick overview of the acronym and how it applies to creating accessible digital content.
Accessible design is the process of creating products, services, and environments that are usable by everyone. The goal is to create equitable experiences where everyone can participate fully and independently. When designing accessibly, you are considering the needs and abilities of all users and ensuring your digital content is easy to use and understand, regardless of a person's physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities.
Conforming with all of the WCAG guidelines is required by Rice and federal law, but it alone does not mean your content will be usable by everyone. Integrating universal design principles and conducting technical and functional testing are important when designing to ensure you achieve true accessibility and equity for people with disabilities.
Use the following techniques and practices to create accessible digital content at Rice.
