Skip to Main Content

Digital Accessibility

Skip Menu

Digital Accessibility Liaisons

The Digital Accessibility Liaison (DAL) Program is a core component of the University of Georgia’s Digital Accessibility Initiative.
DALs act as the primary accessibility point of contact within each college, school, or administrative unit, bridging local practices with the university’s Digital Accessibility Services (DAS) team and the Accessibility Steering Committee (ASC). 

The program supports UGA’s compliance with ADA Title II, Section 508, and WCAG 2.1 AA standards in advance of the April 2026 federal digital accessibility deadline and future updates. 

Appointment & Term

Appointed by – Senior leadership (Dean, Director, or Vice President) within each college, school, or administrative unit. 

Term – One year minimum, renewable. 

Representation:

  • One primary DAL per unit, however; 
  • large units may appoint multiple DALs by focus area, who communicate with primary DAL: 
  • Instructional / Academic (eLC & course materials) 
  • Web / Communications (sites, documents, media) 
  • IT / Technical (infrastructure, systems, apps)

Core Responsibilities

Awareness & Communication 

  • Serve as the primary accessibility contact for the college, school, or unit. 
  • Disseminate updates, training opportunities, and policy communications from the Digital Accessibility Services (DAS) team and the Accessibility Steering Committee (ASC). 
  • Gather and share local feedback, questions, and accessibility challenges with DAS. 
  • Promote awareness of accessibility initiatives, encouraging a culture of inclusion and proactive compliance. 

Support & Implementation 

  • Promote and interpret Ally for eLC and Ally for Web accessibility reports to help faculty and staff improve their content. 
  • Assist in cataloging websites, course shells, and other digital assets within the unit. 
  • Collaborate with web editors, instructional designers, and IT teams to coordinate remediation work and track progress toward accessibility benchmarks. 
  • Provide guidance on evaluating third-party tools and vendor platforms for accessibility compliance (VPAT/ACR review). 

Training & Capacity Building 

  • Complete the Digital Accessibility Liaison (DAL) training through the Professional Education Portal (PEP), including the Prerequisite Core and applicable Learning Paths. 
  • Participate in monthly DAL meetings and Teams discussions to share best practices, case studies, and new tools. 
  • Encourage colleagues to adopt accessible documents, media, and web design practices across academic and administrative work. 
  • Support ongoing awareness campaigns and professional development related to digital accessibility. 

Monitoring & Reporting  

  • Review Ally for eLC and Ally for Web reports quarterly to identify trends and progress. 
  • Maintain accurate DAL Tracker data for websites, training completions, and accessibility metrics within the unit. 
  • Participate in annual accessibility audits, confirming domain coverage, remediation progress, and staff training completion. 
  • Provide unit-level summaries or updates as requested by DAS or the Accessibility Steering Committee. 

Training Requirements (In Development)

Training for Digital Accessibility Liaisons (DALs) is coordinated by the Digital Accessibility Services (DAS) team in collaboration with UHR Learning & Development through the Professional Education Portal (PEP). 

Prerequisite Core (Required for All Participants) 

All DAL participants must complete a shared foundation prior to starting a specialized learning path: 

  • Digital Accessibility: Three Points About the Law 
  • How Some People with Disabilities Use Technology 
  • Recommended Practices & Tips for Digital Accessibility 
  • Creating an Organizational Culture that Embraces Accessibility 
  • Digital Accessibility for the Modern Workplace (LinkedIn Learning) 

Role-Based Learning Paths 

After completing the Prerequisite Core, participants select one or more paths based on their role: 

  • Instructional / Academic Path – Focuses on accessible course design, Ally for eLC, and accessible PDFs. 
  • Web / Communications Path – Emphasizes accessible websites, media, and digital content using Ally for Web, PopeTech, and Silktide. 
  • IT / Technical Path – Covers accessibility testing, vendor evaluations (VPAT/ACR), WCAG 2.2 principles, and Ally for Administrators. 

Certificates & Badges 

UGA Digital Accessibility Liaison Certificate –
Awarded to any faculty or staff member who completes the Prerequisite Core plus one Learning Path.
This certificate confirms foundational knowledge in digital accessibility and qualifies the individual to serve as a trained Digital Accessibility Liaison within their college, department, or unit. 

UGA Digital Accessibility Liaison Pathway Badges –
Each Learning Path: Instructional / Academic, Web / Communications, and IT / Technical, carries a unique digital badge representing subject-area proficiency.
These badges may be displayed in professional profiles or email signatures to demonstrate verified completion of a specific accessibility track. 

UGA Designated Digital Accessibility Liaison (Gold) Badge –
Reserved for the appointed DAL representing each college, school, or administrative unit.
The appointed DAL must complete the Prerequisite Core and all three Learning Paths, earning all individual badges before receiving the gold-outlined Designated DAL Badge.
This badge symbolizes cross-disciplinary expertise and formal appointment as the primary accessibility liaison for the unit. 

All training completions, certificates, and badge awards will be tracked through the Professional Education Portal (PEP) and the DAL Tracker Dashboard maintained by Digital Accessibility Services (DAS). 

Tools and Resources

Digital Accessibility Liaisons (DALs) will have access to a shared suite of tools, templates, and communication channels maintained by Digital Accessibility Services (DAS). 

These resources are designed to support collaboration, training completion, accessibility monitoring, and ongoing communication across all colleges, schools, and units.

Confirmed Resources

  • Ally for eLC and Ally for Web Dashboards – Provides accessibility scoring, reporting, and improvement guidance for course materials and web content. 
  • Microsoft Teams Group: Digital Accessibility Liaisons – Central hub for discussions, announcements, resource sharing, and meeting coordination. 
  • UGA Accessibility Knowledge Base (Internal) – Repository of how-to guides, policies, tutorials, and accessibility FAQs maintained by DAS. 
  • DAS Contact: [email protected] – Direct support channel for accessibility inquiries, escalation, and consultation.

Planned Additions (In Development)

  • DAL Resource Folder – Shared OneDrive or Teams folder containing templates, checklists, dashboards, communication materials, and reporting forms. 
  • DAS Office Hours and Workshops – Regular live sessions for troubleshooting, advanced training, and peer collaboration. 
  • DAL Tracker Dashboard – Centralized Power BI or Excel-based tool for tracking unit websites, Ally scores, training progress, and badge completions. 
  • PEP Learning Path Integrations – Direct links between PEP completions and DAL credential tracking within the DAL Tracker.