Accessibility At UW-parkside
The University of Wisconsin-Parkside recognizes that all persons, regardless of ability or disability, are valued and vital members of our community. We are committed to creating a physical and digital environment where all of our students, employees, and community members can learn, work, and thrive.
Physical accessibility refers to the design and layout of buildings and other planned environments to ensure that they can be used by everyone, including people with mobility, visual, or auditory disabilities. Digital accessibility is essential for creating an inclusive and equitable online environment that ensures all individuals, including those with disabilities, can access, navigate, and interact with digital content and services.
Accessible physical and digital experiences enhance usability by everyone, fostering innovation and improving overall user experience. Learn more about why accessibility is everyone’s responsibility and how creating an accessible environment improves university life for everyone, not just for people with disabilities.
Accessibility Policies and Standards
UW-Parkside adheres to the following policies related to accessibility:
Digital Accessibility Policy Implementation
UW-Parkside has implemented the following process in accordance with UW SYS Policy 655, Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Applications. Additional guidance can be found in the Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Applications Guidance.
In compliance with UWSA Policy 655: Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Applications (effective April 1, 2026), the University of Wisconsin-Parkside has established the following work processes:
The University will provide web content, mobile applications, and digital content that is accessible as defined by conformance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA or higher, unless doing so would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of the program, service, or activity or cause undue financial and administrative burdens to the institution.
- Only the Chancellor or their designee may approve an exception due to fundamental alteration and/or undue burden.
- The provision of reasonable accommodations may not be used to substitute this policy’s requirement to ensure accessibility of digital content and tools.
Ongoing guidance, support, and training will come from the campus Universal Design Team which, at minimum, is comprised of a representative from the following campus units: Campus Technology Services, Student Accessibility Services, Human Resources, Center for Excellence in Inclusive Teaching & Learning, Marketing, and Facilities Management.
The Universal Design Team serves as the primary point of contact for digital accessibility-related needs on campus, including:
- Coordinating communication, guidance, training, and resources for University employees responsible for web content, mobile applications, and digital content to support policy implementation and ongoing practice.
- Designating campus contacts for support in digital accessibility-related technical consultations and support.
- Advising the chancellor or their designee about compliance issues and exceptions.
- Updating this implementation and compliance process as needed and communicating any changes to the campus.
Campus Technology Services will ensure that all software and hardware procured for use at the university are accessible as required by the policy via the Technology Acquisition Form, which is required to be completed before the acquisition, development, or acceptance of new technology on campus.
The University will maintain an accessibility barrier reporting form and make it available to employees, students, and the general public. Submitted reports will go to the Universal Design Team who will:
- Review barrier reports in a timely fashion;
- Relay barrier reports to the appropriate party for remediation;
- Provide an annual report of complaints to the UWSA Chief Compliance Officer or their designee.
Training and Making Your Digital Content Accessible
Training and Just-In-Time Resources
UW-Parkside employees may choose any combination of online, in-person, or departmental training opportunities to designed to help improve their knowledge and ability to create accessible digital content based on their role at the university. Several of the optional programs allow participants who successfully complete the them to earn a digital badge. Please choose from the options below for what will best fit your needs:
Focused on small topics and specific digital tools. Offered Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays from 12:15-12:45 throughout the spring semester. Explore the program schedule to choose the sessions that best meet your needs.
Based on the in-person sessions above but available asynchronously, on-demand for you to complete in small bites if you cannot attend an in-person session or to help refresh your memory. New topics will be posted within three days of their first in-person presentation. You may self-enroll in this course at any time and complete only the pieces you need in the order you choose.
Email ceitl@uwp.edu to schedule a time to bring one or more bite-sized topic to your departmental, unit, or committee meeting. This is also a great way to discuss accessibility challenges that are unique to your area. Please include your requested topic(s) and at least two time choices in your request.
Available for videos hosted in Kaltura or Yuja through the Center for Excellence in Inclusive Teaching & Learning. Automatic machine-generated captions are not always accurate enough to meet our accessibility guidelines. This free service allows faculty and instructors to submit course video content to our trained student workers who will remediate your captions with a goal of 98% accuracy or more. Please view the captioning remediation request form to learn more about turnaround times and how to submit your videos for caption remediation.
Online Digital Accessibility 101 Courses are comprehensive courses that cover all aspects of digital accessibility. Based on resources from the Universities of Wisconsin, the three versions of this course are designed to meet the needs of different university employees based on their role. Use the links below to self-enroll in the course of your choice. There is significant overlap between the three courses so it is recommended to choose the version that best fits your needs.
Digital Accessibility 101: Instructional Staff
This course is meant for faculty and instructional academic staff whose primary role is teaching
Digital Accessibility 101: Non-Instructional Staff
This course s meant for staff members whose primary role is not teaching.
Digital Accessibility 101: Student Workers
This course is meant for student workers who may assist non-instructional staff with content creation or student organization leaders who create digital content on behalf of their recognized organization
Additional Training and Resources
Additional information on making accessible digital content on the Getting Started with Digital Accessibility page linked below, which contains key concepts, resources, and campus contacts for additional support.
Additional just-in-time training resources are available from the Universities of Wisconsin through the link below.
Digital Accessibility Champions
Digital Accessibility Champions are experts in particular digital content areas who are able to help Parkside employees with questions about making accessible content. Digital Accessibility Champions cannot make your content accessible for you, but they can help you better understand how to remediate your own content.
| Software | Accessibility Champion | Email Address |
| Website | Catherine Mantuano | mantuano@uwp.edu |
| Social Media | Andrea Schulner | schulner@uwp.edu |
| Canvas | Center for Excellence in Inclusive Teaching & Learning | ceitl@uwp.edu |
| Navigate | Marie Smith | smithm0@uwp.edu |
| Electronic Documents | Service Desk/Tech Bar | servicedesk@uwp.edu |
| Sharepoint | Service Desk/Tech Bar | servicedesk@uwp.edu |
| Video Captioning | Center for Excellence in Inclusive Teaching & Learning | ceitl@uwp.edu |
| Textbooks/e-Textbooks | Student Accessibility Services | sas@uwp.edu |
| Adaptive Technology | Student Accessibility Services | sas@uwp.edu |
| Athletics | CJ Selner | selner@uwp.edu |
Universal Design Team
The Universal Design Team coordinates communication, guidance, training, and resources related to digital and physical accessibility at UW-Parkside. They also receive and manage Accessibility Barrier Reports and advise the chancellor on accessibility issues.
The team is comprised of at least one representative from the following offices: Student Accessibility Services, Human Resources, Campus Technology Services, Center for Excellence in Inclusive Teaching & Learning, Marketing, and Facilities Management. Contact the Universal Design Team by Reporting an Accessibility Barrier or emailing them at accessibility@uwp.edu.