Skocz do treści głównej

Why Should Universities Ensure Document Accessibility?

Public and private universities today play a key role in creating an educational environment open to all audiences. One of the foundations of inclusivity is ensuring access to educational and administrative materials in a format that complies with WCAG standards. As a company with extensive experience working with the academic sector, we understand the unique needs and challenges faced by higher education institutions in their journey to create a truly accessible university.

Accessible Documents at Universities – A Necessity or a Requirement?

Universities are required to adapt their digital documents to accessibility standards. This requirement arises from the Act on the Accessibility of Digital Websites and Mobile Applications of Public Sector Entities, which mandates educational institutions to ensure access to published materials for people with disabilities.

The technical foundation for these requirements is the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) – an international standard that defines how to prepare digital content in a way that enables it to be easily read by, among others, blind, visually impaired, and cognitively challenged individuals. Failure to comply with these guidelines can result in complaints, inspections, and the need to adapt content under time pressure.

Ensuring document accessibility at universities is not only a matter of meeting legal requirements but also a basis for inclusive and modern education. Universities that consistently implement these principles not only avoid formal problems but also support equal access to knowledge for all students and staff. By providing adapted educational materials, students with disabilities can actively participate in the learning process, aligning with the concept of a university open to everyone. A clear structure and appropriate labeling also enhance the learning experience for all students, regardless of their individual needs. Additionally, implementing accessibility standards like WCAG strengthens the university’s prestige by showcasing its commitment to modern solutions and social responsibility. Accessible documents also improve knowledge management – facilitating archiving, searching, and repurposing scientific resources, thus enhancing the work of both students and academic staff.

  1. Inclusive Education: Accessible educational materials allow full participation in the educational process for students with various disabilities, supporting the idea of an accessible university.

  2. Compliance with WCAG: Implementing accessible documents helps meet legal requirements for digital accessibility, including WCAG standards.

  3. Improved Quality of Education: Accessible materials often have better structure and clarity, raising the quality of teaching for all students.

  4. Increased University Prestige: Universities implementing advanced digital accessibility solutions are seen as innovative and socially responsible.

  5. More Efficient Knowledge Management: Accessible documents facilitate archiving, searching, and sharing scientific materials.

Who Should Ensure Document Accessibility at Universities?

Several units within the university are responsible for ensuring digital document accessibility, with academic libraries playing a key role. They manage scientific and educational resources such as publications, educational materials, theses, and research reports. Preparing them in accordance with WCAG standards allows all users – including blind and visually impaired individuals – to freely access these materials.

Equally important is the university administration, which creates and publishes formal documents, such as regulations, announcements, forms, and recruitment information. If these are not adapted to the needs of people with disabilities, they can present a barrier to accessing education and academic services.

Document accessibility is also crucial in the activities of promotion and communication departments. University websites, brochures, presentations, and reports should be prepared in a way that allows them to be accessible to everyone, regardless of visual or cognitive limitations. Document accessibility also plays a key role in promoting the university’s achievements and its academic staff. Properly prepared documents not only increase the reach and impact of research but also strengthen the university’s image as a modern and open institution.

Solutions for an Accessible University

Our experience in university digitization is based on real implementations and collaborations with scientific institutions. As Sages, we have implemented the Omega-PSIR knowledge management system, created by the Warsaw University of Technology, in over 45 academic institutions. This system integrates the functions of a scientific publication repository, research output information system, and evaluation tool for universities.

Our work on adapting this software, particularly tailoring it to the specific needs of institutions, has given us a unique perspective on academic sector digitization and enables us to effectively support universities in adapting their digital resources to various applicable standards.

We offer comprehensive solutions tailored to the needs of higher education institutions that support inclusivity at universities:

  • Accessibility audits of existing educational and administrative materials for compliance with WCAG standards
  • Professional adaptation of documents to WCAG standards
  • Training for academic and administrative staff on creating accessible content
  • Implementation of our innovative tool, Aidapta, for automatically adapting PDF documents

Benefits of Implementing Our Solutions

  1. Time and Resource Savings: Automating the document adaptation process significantly reduces the workload of institution staff.
  2. Consistency and Quality: Uniform accessibility standards for all university materials.
  3. Flexibility: The ability to quickly adapt materials to individual student needs.
  4. Technical Support: Ongoing help in maintaining and developing digital accessibility at the university.
  5. Integration with Existing Systems: Our solutions can be easily integrated with systems already in place at the university, including Omega-PSIR.

Investing in accessible documents in academic institutions is not only about meeting WCAG requirements but also about advancing modern, inclusive higher education and creating a truly accessible university. Contact us to discuss how we can help your institution improve the accessibility of digital documents.