1. Purpose 

Explain the objective of the procedure, such as enforcing a standard, mitigating a specific risk, or supporting a policy requirement.

Ensure that UW digital content posted on social media platforms meets the UW Minimum Digital Accessibility Technical Standard.  

2. Scope 

Define what systems, departments, roles, and types of data or assets are affected by this procedure.

This procedure applies to:

• All social media accounts managed by or on behalf of UW Units.
• All Units creating or updating web content or content in mobile apps that the UW makes available via a social media platform.
• All university personnel creating or updating content on UW social media accounts on behalf of UW units.
• Vendors or contractors creating or updating content on UW social media accounts on behalf of UW units.

3. References 

• APS 9.0 Digital Accessibility
• Minimum Digital Accessibility Standard (Interim)
• DOJ Final Rule on Web Accessibility under Title II (2024)

4. Definitions

Academic or Administrative Unit (Unit)

Academic or Administrative Units are divisions, campuses, or colleges headed by an executive who reports directly to the President or the Provost.

Social Media Platform

Social media platforms mean websites or mobile apps of third parties whose primary purpose is to enable users to create and share content in order to participate in social networking ( i.e., the creation and maintenance of personal and business relationships online through websites and mobile apps like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn).

5. Roles and Responsibilities  

Role	Responsibility
Marketing and Communications	Oversees tracking of social media accounts managed by units. Includes digital accessibility guidance in published social media guidelines.
Information Technology, Accessible Technology Services (UWIT ATS)	Holds primary responsibility for providing and maintaining guidance resources on social media accessibility Manages the Social Media channel in the Digital Accessibility Liaisons workspace in Teams.
Civil Rights Compliance Office	Provides guidance on ADA Title II social media requirements.
Social Media Content Creators	Follow social media accessibility best practices when publishing social media content.

6. Procedure Steps

1.      Account access and documentation

1. Social Media Content Creator notifies Marketing and Communications when a new UW-affiliated social media account is created
2. Social Media Content Creator notifies Marketing and Communications when a new social media content creator is added to an existing UW-affiliated social media account
3. Marketing and Communications maintains a list of social media sites and content creators
4. Social Media Content Creator is required to read social media best practices provided by IT-Accessible Technology Services before posting content, and reviews best practices regularly for updates
5. Social Media Content Creator is encouraged to join the Digital Accessibility Liaisons and monitor content that is posted in the Social Media channel in Teams.
6. Social Media Content Creator is encouraged to join the Social Media Community of Practice.

2.      Publishing content

1. IT-Accessible Technology Services creates and maintains published best practices for posting social media content
2. Social Media Content Creators ensure that social media content conforms with publish best practices, such as adding alternative text to images, including captions on videos, and ensuring that posts have sufficient color contrast.

7. Exceptions

Describe any allowable deviations and the process for requesting or documenting them.

• The University is not responsible for the accessibility of social media platforms.
• The University is not responsible for the accessibility of content posted by a third party, unless the third party is posting due to contractual, licensing, or other arrangements with the University.

8. Compliance and Enforcement

Describe how compliance will be monitored and what consequences apply for non-compliance.

• Units are accountable for compliance, with support and consultation provided through the Civil Rights Compliance Office and IT-Accessible Technology Services.

9. Revision History

Version	Date	Author	Description
1.0	12/10/2025	Beth Somerfield	Initial release