Meeting the ADA Title II Digital Accessibility Requirements

DCAAP Project Timeline

DCAAP Project Timeline

The proposed project timeline extends from Fall 2024 through Fall 2027. This timeframe will provide the necessary foundation to establish the infrastructure required for George Mason to procure, develop, and sustain accessible digital content. However, this effort will be ongoing and is expected to continue well beyond this initial timeline.

Review the cards below for details on the project timeline

Fall 2024 - Spring 2025:
DCAAP Development & Pilot

During the Summer/Fall 2024 semesters, ATI staff developed and piloted a plan to bring digital content hosted on public-facing websites and in courses into compliance with the updated ADA Title II standards. The ATI Office will model the plan, auditing its own digital resources. The second part of this process will involve working closely with Disability Services, the Office of Access, Compliance, and Community, and the University Libraries.

Spring 2025 - Fall 2025:
Public-Facing Websites
Ongoing

Starting Spring 2025, ATI staff started actively engaging with units to audit, assess, and remediate their public-facing websites and the content hosted on those websites (e.g., images, audio/video, documents, etc.).

Fall 2025 - Fall 2027:
Course Content
Ongoing

Starting Fall 2025, ATI staff started actively engaging with faculty and academic units to audit, assess, and remediate the content hosted within the LMS (i.e., text content, supplemental applications) and in Mason courses (i.e., audio/video, documents).

Project Milestones

Summer 2026
  • Instructional Accessibility
    • Since Summer 2025, there has been a 32% increase in the number of CSUs meeting OACC's baseline accessibility scores for content in Canvas courses.
  • Website Accessibility
    • 95% of all George Mason websites in DubBot continue to meet OACC's established compliance standards.
    • Partnered with OUB and ITS Web Administration to launch the Patriot PDF and Media Purge Initiative. This efforts enlists the help of web developers and content authors in the auditing and remediation inaccessible PDFs and media.
    • Developed PDF and Media Inventory and Compliance dashboard opens a new window to assist with tracking the remediation of the institution's web-based PDFs and media content.
  • Training
    • Continued F2F trainings with academic units on document accessibility (i.e., Word, PowerPoint).
    • Partnered with UDTS and Mars to address accessibility of theses and dissertations hosted on GMU websites.
Spring 2026
  • Instructional Accessibility
    • Deans for each college and school, including Mason Online's Executive Director, identify accessiblity liaisons to assist with educating instructional faculty about resources to assist with creating more accessible and inclusive courses.
    • Increased baseline accessibility scores for all Canvas courses to 80% by Fall 2026.
    • Developed Canvas Accessibility dashboard opens a new window to assist with tracking instructional accessibility efforts of each college, school, and/or unit (CSU).
  • Website Accessibility
    • Identify critical gaps in the reporting of PDFs and media report. Started collaborating with key stakeholders on plans to address these concerns.
  • Training
    • Continued F2F trainings with academic units on document accessibility (i.e., Word, PowerPoint).
    • Developed MasonLeaps training module on digital accessibility in higher education and document accessibility (i.e., Word, PowerPoint).
Fall 2025
  • Platforms
    • 95% of all Mason websites in DubBot met OACC's established compliance standards.
    • Established baseline accessibility scores (i.e., LMS, College/School, Courses) in Panorama for all GMU's colleges and schools to support creation of accessible instructional resources. This baseline will be used as basis to build buy-in from academic units throughout 2026. 70% of all Canvas courses in Fall 2026 met OACC's established compliance standards.
  • Purchasing and Procurement
    • Partnered with Purchasing and VIVA to align accessibility language in GMU contracts with language used by VASCUPP.
    • Provided training to Purchasing and Fiscal Services staff on document accessibility and best practices for ensuring accessibility of online contracts.
  • Training
Summer 2025
  • Platforms
    • Implemented plan for quarterly reviews of Mason websites opens a new window.
    • In coordination with Mason's Web Team, developed ticketing system for internal partners to report template-specific web accessibility issues.
    • Partnering with vendor to pilot use of AI to support audio description for public-facing videos.
    • Partnered with ITS, adjusting Panorama's policies to support the independent remediation of Word/PPT docs and the identification of inaccessible PDFs in Canvas courses.
  • Training
    • Conducted trainings with key strategic partners on document accessibility.
    • Set up monthly working sessions with Mason's Web Team to support web accessibility efforts.
    • Provided support for faculty/staff participating in DAF opens a new window and TTW opens a new window courses. (ongoing)
Spring 2025
  • Platforms
    • Configured DubBot platform to support web accessibility efforts.
    • Adjusted DubBot policies to support auditing of PDFs and media content on public-facing websites.
    • Added core Mason websites to DubBot platform.
    • Implemented Panorama to support integration of accessibility into Canvas courses and accessibility testing/remediation efforts for non-academic faculty/staff.
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Training
    • Hosted ADA Title II Kickoff meeting c/o GRS (January 2025).
    • Hosted ADA Title II trainings with both academic and non-academic units.
    • Conducted trainings with key strategic partners on how to use DubBot platform.
    • Conducted trainings with key strategic partners on document accessibility.
    • Hosted Panorama drop-in sessions for faculty/staff.
    • Provided support for faculty/staff participating in DAF opens a new window and TTW opens a new window courses. (ongoing)
GMU Public-Facing Websites GMU Courses