As we approach our late-April accessibility compliance deadline, we want to share a clear roadmap of the changes coming to myUMBC and what they mean for you.
Phase 1: Content Checks & Preview
Coming later during the week of March 23rd.
Content Checks
When editing a Post or Event, you'll see a new Content Checks section that flags accessibility issues before publishing, such as missing alt text on images or broken links.
Previously, you could publish posts and events without addressing accessibility issues. That is no longer the case, flagged issues must be resolved before content can go live.
Preview & Publish
The publish button has been replaced with a Preview & Publish button. Clicking it takes you to a preview of your content where you can:
- Review how it will appear to readers
- Return to edit if needed
- Send a preview of the notification email to yourself
- Share the preview link with teammates for review
- Publish to make it live
Phase 2: Content Archiving
In late-April, any content with unresolved accessibility issues published before January 1, 2023 will be marked as archived. The most common issue is images missing alt text.
Admins will have access to a report showing all of their group's flagged content. If you resolve issues before mid-April, that content will not be archived.
Here's what to expect for content that is archived:
- It will appear under a new Archived filter in your group
- URLs will not change, so existing links won't break
- Archived content is read-only, but you can edit and republish it at any time
- It will display a prominent banner indicating the content is archived and may not be current
For departmental websites: If your site pulls in myUMBC group content, no changes are needed on your end. Archiving will be reflected automatically on your site.
Why This Matters
These changes reflect UMBC's institutional commitment to making myUMBC accessible to everyone. The goal is to make compliance as manageable as possible — catching issues early, giving you visibility into your content, and providing time to act before archiving occurs.
Questions? Reach out to collier@umbc.edu.