Further Guidance | Title II Accessibility

Dear Colleagues, 

As you are already aware, the University of Maine must comply with Title II digital accessibility standards by April 2026. The Office of the Provost has convened a Title II committee to develop and share guidance that will help ensure our digital resources are accessible across campus. You will receive more detailed information in mid-January.

In the meantime if you would like to begin ensuring the accessibility of course content and website materials, please find below some resources that will help you. 

• The accessibility tool Ally has been added to Brightspace. There will be Ally Training for Instructors on January 15th from 12-2 p.m. Please use this link to register. An Ally overview can be found here.
  
• CITL has also expanded the Accessibility area of their website to include Title II requirements. They have prepared this checklist as well as a link to this Title II FAQ. If you have any questions about using Ally, please feel free to reach out to CITL (citl@maine.edu or 581.3333). If you would like an Instructional Designer to review your course materials with you, please request a consultation.
  
• For equations and other mathematical content that may need accessibility updates, some resources on this topic can be found on the Provost’s Office website.
  
• A list of accessibility resources from the University of Maine System (UMS) can be found here. The System is also providing licenses for Adobe Acrobat Pro and Adobe Express. More information about those tools can be found here.
  
• GrackleDocs, an accessibility add-on for Google Workspace, can be utilized by anyone on campus. More information on this can be found here. 

Ensuring compliance with Title II is a significant undertaking, but it is essential to providing equitable access to learning materials both inside and outside the classroom. As we begin this important work, I want to thank you for your commitment and investment of time. This campus-wide effort will require all of us to work together. Ultimately, it will set us up for even greater success in the future. 

With best wishes for the holiday season, 

Gabe Paquette
Interim Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
University of Maine and University of Maine at Machias
5703 Alumni Hall, Suite 201 | Orono, ME 04469