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Administration

Digital Accessibility Roadmap

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Table of Contents

Core Commitment to Digital Inclusion

Digital accessibility is not merely a technical requirement; it is a fundamental reflection of our mission as a health sciences center committed to providing world-class education, patient care and research for all. Our dedication to inclusion requires that every member of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center community—learners, team members and patients—has equitable access to the digital resources essential for success.

"This institutional commitment ensures we remain at the forefront of innovation and fulfill our promise to serve the diverse needs of the public. By making our digital environment accessible, we empower every individual to contribute fully to the TTUHSC mission, driving breakthroughs in health care and education."

- Darrin D'Agostino, Provost and Executive Vice President of Academics

Compliance Mandate

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is legally mandated to ensure all digital content is fully accessible, aligning with the U.S. Department of Justice's updated regulations under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

To meet this requirement and uphold our institutional values of universal access, all covered digital assets must conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standard.

Report a Barrier

Please take care not to include any protected health information in email outreach.

Students

If you’re a student in need of accessibility assistance, please contact Student Disability Services at DisabilityServices@ttuhsc.edu.

Visitors

Are you a prospective student, family member, or community guest? We are committed to ensuring our digital resources are accessible to everyone. If you encounter a barrier, please contact our Digital Accessibility team at: digitalaccessibility@ttuhsc.edu.

Institutional Digital Content

Websites and Web Applications

All publicly facing TTUHSC websites.

All internal university intranet sites and authenticated web platforms.

Documents and Files

All instructional, administrative and public documents, including PDF, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint (PPT) files.

Learning Management Systems (LMS) Content

All materials and interactions within the primary learning platform D2L Brightspace, as well as the currently sunsetting platforms Sakai and Canvas. All schools and programs are expected to deliver curriculum exclusively through D2L Brightspace by the start of the summer 2026 semester.

Video and Audio Media

All recorded or live media requires accurate captioning (for video) and/or full transcripts (for audio).

Digital Modernization and Accessibility Compliance Roadmap

  • Objective Key Actions Narrative Status
    1.1 Establish Executive Steering and Accountability Designate the HB 5195 Steering Committee under the CIO, including executive-level representation from IT, Web Services, Marketing, Accessibility, Legal, Compliance, and Clinical Affairs. Define clear authority, budget channels and required reporting cadence. Cross-functional workgroup established, regular meetings scheduled and facilitated with regular updates provided on progress. COMPLETE
    1.2 Define Legal Scope and Clinical Inclusion Confirm TTUHSC's classification as a "state agency" per Chapter 2054 requirements. Clarify and document the full inclusion of all patient and clinical portals, student services and faculty platforms within the mandatory scope. Complete source of truth document developed encompassing all institutional websites, domains, digital vendor platforms, web applications and mobile applications. COMPLETE
    1.3 Formalize State Agency Coordination (DIR) Initiate contact with the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) to confirm reporting expectations, template utilization and access interagency guidance. Request participation in any relevant modernization working groups. Contact made with DIR to ensure compliance in reporting templates, deadlines and resource access. COMPLETE
  • Objective Key Actions Narrative Status
    2.1 Catalog Institutional Digital Footprint Conduct a full inventory of all public-facing and internal portals (e.g., ttuhsc.edu, patient platforms, departmental microsites, research servers). Identify ownership, platform architecture, hosting environment and initial accessibility status. Working from the source of truth document created in 1.2, asset inventory reviewed and ownership documented. COMPLETE
    2.2 Conduct Holistic Usability and Accessibility Assessment Execute a comprehensive assessment of identified systems using the Chapter 2054 criteria: navigation, user experience (UX), mandatory accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA), mobile responsiveness and system integration.

    Silktide chosen for vendor support. Modernization Assessment Report with platform ratings and usability scores will be produced as soon as vendor onboarding is complete. Initial reports will be produced for the following: 

    		 IN PROGRESS
    2.3 Strategic Gap Analysis Assess and assign all identified deficiencies against DIR and legislative best practices. Pinpoint critical compliance gaps (ADA, Section 508, TAC 213). Detailed evaluation of compliance gaps and vulnerabilities will be evaluated and assigned to technical support team members across the university. PLANNED
  • Objective Key Actions Narrative Status
    3.1 Implement Sustained Improvement Dashboards Built from the initial accessibility scrape and gap reports, identified issue correction documentation will be visualized in a dashboard format designed to show continuous improvement. By visualizing the outcomes of improvement work completed, we will be able to report on both improved accessibility scores and our operationalized commitment to digital accessibility. IN PLANNING
    3.2 Website Design Templates Testing Review and assess accessibility compliance for new design features planned for TTUHSC internal and external websites Leverage manual testing support from accessibility support vendor, Silktide, for evaluation by human testers before final site development.  IN PLANNING
    3.3 TTUHSC.edu New Website Launch Design and develop a new, modernized, and accessible website for ttuhsc.edu, the primary web presence for the institution.  In anticipation of needed accessibility improvements and Texas HB 5185, work began in 2025 to create a new ttuhsc.edu. Launch is expected in the fall of 2026. IN PROGRESS
    3.4 Accessibility Training Curate a module of required trainings for website content editors, curriculum creators and web/app developers. Using Silktide's learning hub, a tailored list of training videos for various audiences will be developed and installed with completion tracking for each individual.  IN PLANNING
  • Objective Key Actions Narrative Status
    4.1 Execute Mandated Biennial Performance Review Conduct a mandatory review of modernization outcomes every two years. Measure key institutional metrics, related to digital accessibility. A biennial review summary will be distributed to the digital accessibility workgroup and shared with executive leadership as needed. PLANNED
    4.2 Maintain Legislative Reporting and Audit Readiness Provide TTUHSC-specific data to the DIR for mandated reporting each March and any additional legislative reports required. Maintain thorough documentation and records to ensure continuous audit readiness. Data from continuous improvement dashboards will be used to demonstrate necessary reporting standards. PLANNED
    4.3 Institutionalize Perpetual Training and Policy Governance Embed web accessibility and modernization training into standard onboarding and mandatory requirements for all content owners and developers. Updated Policies & Training Modules integrated into HR and IT training programs. PLANNED