During the academic year 2026-27 (FY27), the U-M Digital Accessibility Strategic Initiative is focused on transitioning to regular, ongoing operations. Key goals, as highlighted below, are aligned with ensuring ongoing support and services for digital accessibility at U-M.
The Strategic Initiative launched in 2023, building on a much longer history of digital accessibility commitment and innovation at U-M. Key accomplishments from recent years of the Initiative are outlined below.
Ongoing Work, 2026-27
PDF Accessibility
- Establish Strategic Suppliers for professional remediation
- Owner: ECRT-DEO
- Establish new and improved services to support the conversion of PDFs into accessible formats
- Owner: ITS Accessibility
Guidance
- Update university guidance on digital accessibility to reflect current environment
- Owner: ECRT-DEO
Course Accessibility
- Improve the quality and usability of tools for instructors to make course content accessible
- Owner: ITS
- Provide new modes of custom training for academic departments
- Owner: ECRT-DEO
Key Accomplishments, 2024-2026
Strategy & Guidance
- 2025–26 (FY26)
- Published Compliance Roadmap
- Supported leadership with guidance and regulatory interpretation
- 2024–25 (FY25)
- Supported leadership with guidance and regulatory interpretation
Procurement
- 2025–26 (FY26)
- Trained Procurement Buyers and staff often involved in purchasing process through existing groups
- 2024–25 (FY25)
- Updated process and contract language to support digital accessibility
Course Accessibility
- 2025–26 (FY26)
- Matured Canvas Accessibility Service
- 2024–25 (FY25)
- Selected and implemented Panorama for Canvas Accessibility
Web Accessibility
- 2025–26 (FY26)
- Selected, implemented, and launched Siteimprove for Web Accessibility Scanning
- 2024–25 (FY25)
- Planned relaunch of Web Accessibility Scanning Service
Other Tools
- 2025–26 (FY26)
- Investigated emerging tools to address gaps
- 2024–25 (FY25)
- Launched Grackle for Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides
PDF Accessibility
- 2025–26 (FY26)
- Selected U-M strategic suppliers for PDF remediation services
- Investigated emerging tools and tested internal prototypes to convert PDFs to accessible formats
- 2024–25 (FY25)
- Investigated emerging tools to address PDF accessibility gaps
Dashboards and Data
- 2025–26 (FY26)
- Explored dashboard solutions for accessibility reporting
- Established internal processes for data gathering and management
- 2024–25 (FY25)
- Explored prototype for internal reporting on product accessibility
Training
- 2025–26 (FY26)
- Delivered over 75 training sessions and events, with total attendance over 12k participants
- Delivered train-the-trainer opportunities
- Reached over 3k viewers with recorded DEO digital accessibility trainings on YouTube
- 2024–25 (FY25)
- Redesigned and relaunched the Digital Accessibility at U-M website