Digital Accessibility Update - April 24th Milestone

by Carla Costello & Ed Aractingi | April 29, 2026

Dear colleagues,

As co-sponsors of the digital accessibility initiative, we want to express our sincere appreciation for your ongoing dedication and collaborative spirit. Your commitment to making our digital environment more accessible has made a meaningful difference for our entire campus community.

Celebrating Our Achievements

Over the past year and a half, we have made remarkable progress together:

Faculty engagement with Blackboard accessibility tools has led to significant progress in creating more accessible course content this year. Across 816 unique courses, instructors improved accessibility scores by an average of 76.65 percentage points, increasing from an average of 15% to 92%. All instructors who used these tools showed measurable improvement, contributing to more than 14,000 accessibility fixes.
Staff are shaping an accessible digital future by integrating accessibility into website management, communications, and operations. More departments are actively seeking guidance and embedding accessibility into their planning.
Hundreds of faculty and staff members have participated in a range of offerings, including hands-on training, informative sessions, and departmental roadshows. These opportunities have empowered participants to deepen their understanding of digital accessibility best practices, explore practical strategies for creating accessible content, and learn how to incorporate accessibility into their daily workflows.

April 24th Milestone

We are near the April 24th Title II of the ADA deadline. This date marks a significant moment in our accessibility journey, but it is important to remember the work to create a more accessible learning environment doesn’t stop with this milestone. We want to emphasize that our focus is on progress, not perfection. Our work to improve digital accessibility will continue well beyond April, as we steadily enhance our skills, resources, and support.

Faculty and staff should continue to:

Use available resources to enhance accessibility in your work
Participate in trainings like our 6 Basics, Quick Bites, Power Hours and Open Labs
Request consultations and/or departmental roadshows
Seek guidance and support whenever needed

If you are a faculty member who is unsure where to begin, reviewing your Blackboard accessibility score is a practical first step. Accessibility experts will be available virtually and in person during all-day open labs on April 16th and April 23rd to help interpret results and identify manageable improvements.

If you have questions or would like personalized guidance, please reach out. Thank you for your dedication, teamwork, and commitment to making William & Mary a leader in digital accessibility.

With appreciation,

Carla Costello
ADA/Section 504 Coordinator

Ed Aractingi
Chief Information Officer