University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) reminded staff on Apr. 3 that the deadline to comply with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards is approaching on April 24, 2026. Interim Associate Vice President for Administrative Services and Chief of Staff Kathy Eftekhari outlined key steps to ensure all new digital content meets these requirements.
The push for compliance aims to make digital content accessible to all users, reflecting UC ANR’s mission to provide equitable access to its programs and information. Eftekhari said, “Fulfilling this commitment requires that everyone who creates digital content learns the professional competency of making it accessible and builds accessibility into their workflows.”
Eftekhari recommended using the Siteimprove tool to identify website accessibility issues and advised prioritizing high-traffic public-facing content such as websites, social media, and marketing emails. She also encouraged staff to delete outdated materials, add proper heading styles for documents, use structured lists for screen readers, provide alt text for images, mark decorative images appropriately, use meaningful hyperlink text, and ensure videos have captions or transcripts.
A new archiving feature will be introduced before April 13 so non-compliant or reference-only materials created before April 24 can be stored in a dedicated area. Instructions will follow upon deployment. Regarding video content on YouTube—which is considered a social media platform—Eftekhari clarified that only embedded videos on UC ANR websites need remediation if posted prior to the deadline.
To support these efforts, two full-time IT personnel focused solely on accessibility compliance have been hired; recruitment is ongoing for an Accessibility Project Manager. Eftekhari thanked the Digital Accessibility Taskforce: “I’d especially like to thank the Digital Accessibility Taskforce for their ongoing time, interest, and commitment to this critically important endeavor; their work has made a huge difference!”
UC ANR operates across all California counties through educational programs promoting sustainable practices in agriculture and natural resources while managing Cooperative Extension services according to its official website. The organization secures funding through public contributions according to its official website, utilizes nine research centers representing diverse ecosystems according to its official website, conducts over thirty-three thousand educational events annually with more than eighteen thousand volunteers according to its official website, promotes resilient ecosystems alongside economic vitality according to its official website, extends university research via workshops and partnerships statewide according to its official website, and has gained recognition as a trusted link between research and community needs according to its official website.
