Digital Accessibility in Research and Scholarship
Research at UMB often involves digital recruitment, online data collection, public-facing websites, events, and published materials. Under the ADA and the Department of Justice’s Title II Final Rule, digital content, documents, and applications provided through university programs must be accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Researchers should consider accessibility throughout the research lifecycle — from recruitment and informed consent to data collection, dissemination, and technology development.
What Applies to You
You will need to consider digital accessibility when you:
- Use digital survey or data collection tools with participants
- Send online registration or screening forms
- Create public research announcements
- Promote your research on social media
- Host videos and research lectures, including remote/video conference
- Develop apps, software, or other tools as part of a research project
- Post research reports or presentations to official UMB websites or independently hosted lab websites
- Create PDF files for sharing online
Your Responsibilities
Materials and tools must meet University digital accessibility standards when posted or distributed.
This includes ensuring that:
- Web content meets WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines
- Documents are accessible before posting
- Videos are captioned
- Forms are usable with assistive technologies
If research outputs are shared publicly through University platforms, they must meet accessibility standards. Researchers developing digital tools intended for participant, patient, or public use should incorporate accessibility into design and development.