Latest Updates
April 27, 2026
Department of Justice extends digital accessibility deadline
We appreciate your continued efforts to strengthen digital accessibility across UT Southwestern.
On Monday, April 20, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published a final rule extending the compliance timeline for the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II digital accessibility requirements. Under the revised schedule, larger public entities such as UT Southwestern now have until April 26, 2027, to achieve compliance.
While the DOJ deadline has moved by a year, our commitment has not. Ensuring our websites, applications, mobile apps, and digital documents are accessible remains an ongoing responsibility that supports patients, students, applicants, employees, and the broader public. Our accessibility road map and priorities continue as planned, and teams should keep moving forward with the important work already underway.
As you create or update digital assets, please continue to:
- Use UTSW‑approved platforms supported by Information Resources.
- Work with UTSW‑approved accessible templates for Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.
- Apply universal design principles from the start.
- Run built‑in accessibility checkers before sharing or publishing content.
Everyone’s contributions matter. Please work with your leaders to continue this effort while advancing patient care, research, and education priorities.
Dec. 9, 2025
Use new templates to help ensure digital accessibility
As UT Southwestern works to meet updated federal digital accessibility standards, it is essential that all content we create, revise, or update is accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities and impairments.
To help you create your documents with accessibility in mind, the UTSW Brand team has put together accessible PowerPoint and Word templates. Additionally, more information is available on the Digital Accessibility homepage.
Nov. 17, 2025
Digital accessibility starts with the ‘Check Accessibility’ tool
UT Southwestern is preparing to meet new federal digital accessibility standards, and it is essential that all content we create, revise, or update is accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities and impairments.
For Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint), use the built-in Check Accessibility tool to find and resolve accessibility issues in your content. The tool saves time by quickly identifying issues and providing actionable recommendations to help ensure documents, emails, and presentations meet accessibility standards.
Note that using the tool alone is not sufficient to guarantee accessibility. Documents must also be thoroughly checked against the accessibility guidelines for content creators.
Where to find the Check Accessibility tool
- Word and PowerPoint: in the toolbar under “Review”
- Outlook (MacOS): in the “Edit” pulldown menu
- Outlook (Windows): depending on version, in the toolbar under “Message” or “Review”