Digital Accessibility Guide
Why Digital Accessibility Matters
In the SMSD, we believe every student, family, and staff member deserves equal access to our digital information. Accessibility means removing barriers so that all people can use and understand our websites, documents, videos, social media posts, and more. These efforts also directly follow the beliefs outlined in our community-developed Strategic Plan, along with strategic work in the area of Belonging.
Recent updates from the U.S. Department of Justice require public school districts to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. Here is a link to the Guidelines.
By committing to these standards, the SMSD supports belonging, equity, and effective communication for our entire community.
This guide will help define what accessibility means and how to ensure the digital content we create is usable by everyone.
What Needs to Be Accessible?
Everything that is posted or shared digitally must be accessible, including:
- Website content (portals/platforms, board documents, employment portals, etc...)
- Emails and email attachments
- Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides
- Social Media posts
- Event flyers and newsletters
- Forms and Surveys
- Videos and graphics
Note- Even if you didn’t create the content, if you post it publicly on behalf of the SMSD, the content needs to be accessible
Digital Accessibility Toolkit
Best Practices for All Content- Information on Images, Colors, Links, Videos and Documents
Avoiding PDFs and What to Use Instead