In a significant leap towards digital accessibility, NC State has achieved a 77.5% reduction in website WCAG 2.1 AA errors since October 2025. This achievement highlights the university’s commitment to ensuring its digital landscape is accessible to all users, as the campus community works toward a May 11, 2026, federal compliance deadline.

Pathway to Compliance

Learn It, Audit It, Improve It is a campuswide initiative to empower everyone at NC State to help create an accessible digital landscape and meet new federal accessibility standards.

Learn about the initiative

The journey began with a comprehensive baseline established in early 2024. As of April 24, 2024, scans revealed over 2.1 million errors across nearly 490,000 pages. By Oct. 1, 2025, when the university’s digital accessibility leads were first convened and campaign launched, errors had risen to 2,354,107, averaging 4.9 errors per page. Targeted remediation efforts, including WordPress theme updates implemented by University Communications, have yielded impressive results: as of April 14, 2026, errors have plummeted to 529,266, bringing the average down to just 1.31 errors per page despite an increase in the number of websites monitored.

Strategic Accomplishments

Operating under a “Learn It, Audit It, Improve It” framework, the university has hit several key milestones to support its digital goals:

• Policy and Governance Updates: In October 2025, NC State revised REG 04.25.05 to reflect federal mandates. This was bolstered by a 3D memo defining accessibility as a shared institutional responsibility.
• Training and Awareness: The accessibility hub was redesigned, promoting two fundamental courses: “Digital Accessibility Basics” and “Legal Responsibility“. Participation has been high, with over 3,000 individuals completing the legal training.
• Structural Support: New digital accessibility leads were designated across campus to prioritize high-risk and public-facing content. Additionally, the university restructured its website scanner, Pope Tech, to provide better unit-level management.
• Resources and Development: DELTA published The Busy Instructor’s Guide to Course Accessibility and hosted multiple workshop series focused on accessible course materials, while University Communications implemented critical WordPress theme updates.

The Road Ahead: Meeting the Milestone

While this progress is substantial, maintaining momentum remains critical. The May 11, 2026, federal deadline serves as a pivotal milestone as the university continues to expand and standardize accessibility practices, shifting the focus from remediation to a proactive, accessibility-first approach. Future efforts will focus on sustaining this momentum through ongoing remediation and the integration of digital accessibility training for all new employees, ensuring these essential skills are established from their first day at NC State.