The final Student Townhall on Thursday, April 16, revealed revisions to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regarding accessibility to social media posts. The policy states that student organizations must deliver content in formats that meet accessibility standards by April 24, 2026. In an email sent out Monday, April 20, the GRCC Accessibility Governance Team reported on an update from the U.S. Department of Justice, stating the deadline has been pushed back to April 26, 2026.
“While this extension provides additional time, it does not change our direction. Our work to ensure GRCC’s digital content is accessible by default remains our top priority,” the email stated. “This additional time allows us to continue approaching this work thoughtfully and thoroughly.”
In addition to GRCC social media accounts, the school’s main website and Canvas must also comply with this adjustment.
The most notable change will be with photo and video formats. For example, videos must be closed captioned. Kailee Potgeter, GRCC Social Media Coordinator, stated at the Student Town Hall, “If someone cannot hear the video, they need to be able to see what is going on.”
For images, alternative text now must be used. “If a person who is visually impaired is using a screen reader, it can read the text, but the screen reader doesn’t always know what the image represents,” Potgeter said. The provided alt text will be a brief description of the image.
The email also stated that the college is currently working to expand its accessibility. “Over the coming months, we will continue expanding training, tools, resources and help to support faculty and staff create accessible content from the start and build consistent, sustainable practices across the college.”
For more information regarding digital accessibility, it can be found here, or if any questions or additional support are needed, reach out to accessibility@grcc.edu.
