Marie Lynn Miranda UIC Chancellor | University Of Illinois At Chicago
The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) has provided an update on its progress toward meeting the ADA Title II digital accessibility requirements, with a compliance deadline set for April 26, 2026. The initiative aims to ensure that UIC’s digital environment is accessible to all users.
Since the launch of this effort, Technology Solutions at UIC reports that over 1,300 participants have attended monthly training sessions and office hours focused on digital accessibility. More than 280 consultations have been conducted across various colleges and units. Additionally, accessibility scans have covered more than 770 UIC websites and over 3,500 courses. The university also hosted its second Accessibility Liaison Workshop, drawing over 50 attendees from 33 different departments.
In terms of technological advancements, UIC has introduced a cost-effective PDF and RED scanning tool. This tool has scanned nearly 4,900 PDFs and more than 165,000 webpages and Box documents for accessibility issues. The university plans to release the UIC Equalify Dashboard in January 2026 to centralize accessibility data. There is also ongoing development of an AI-powered tool designed to convert inaccessible PDFs into accessible text.
Despite these achievements, the university acknowledges there is still work to be done. As of October 2025, the average accessibility score for Red sites was reported at 48%, up from 24% in October 2024. However, scores vary significantly by site. In Blackboard courses for Fall 2025, overall course accessibility reached nearly 63%, a four-point increase from the previous year; file accessibility improved by eight points to just over 40%. Common issues include color contrast errors, missing image descriptions, untagged documents, and insufficient use of headings.
A recent survey among UIC’s accessibility liaisons highlighted several challenges: while about two-thirds of units know how many public-facing websites they manage, only around one in ten are aware of their total digital documents or course materials. Similarly, although most units participated in training sessions, fewer than one-third shared best practices internally regarding course material accessibility. Only about one-fifth of units have developed an ADA Title II plan for their area; even fewer feel on track for full compliance by April next year.
To address these gaps before the deadline, all staff are encouraged to complete General Accessibility Awareness Training by November 26, use resources from the Digital Accessibility Resource Hub, participate in events focused on best practices, and engage with Digital Accessibility Services for further support.
Leadership figures such as deans and department heads are urged to use planning templates and gather necessary data before the end of this calendar year. Faculty should review course content ahead of Spring instruction starting January 12, while website owners are asked to monitor scores and prioritize key content remediation before January 30.
Jason Maslanka, Chief Technology Officer at UIC, expressed gratitude toward those involved: “While we continue to build and provide resources to support this work and integrate it into our Learning Management System transition and UIC website redesigns, every individual on campus has a role to play in creating an accessible educational environment for all.”
Maslanka also acknowledged the contributions of the Digital Accessibility Steering Committee: “Lastly, we’d like to acknowledge the work of the Digital Accessibility Steering Committee...the guidance and support from the Digital Accessibility Steering Committee has been invaluable up to this point. We thank all the committee members for their service to the campus.”
Community members seeking more information or assistance can contact the Digital Accessibility Team at accessibility@uic.edu.