WA GC JC - October 2025

Session at a glance

Speaker disclosures: Employee of Seattle Children’s & UW; no conflicts. Not a lawyer; legal content adapted from UW materials reviewed by their legal team.
Equity framing: Land acknowledgment (Coast Salish), recognition of enslaved labor, and an explicit anti-racism/anti-ableism lens. Digital accessibility = inclusion work.

Historic WA milestones: Early special-education law (1970s); WA anti-discrimination expansions; October recognized in WA as Disability History & Awareness Month.
Federal update (2024): New rule requires public entities (e.g., UW, public hospitals) to ensure web content and mobile apps are accessible.
Compliance dates depend on org size:
- Large (≥50,000 employees): by Apr 24, 2026 (e.g., UW).
- Smaller orgs: by Apr 2027 (e.g., many hospitals/clinics).
Standards referenced: WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).
Exemptions (don’t need retrofitting): Archived content; pre-Apr 2026 electronic docs; third-party content your org doesn’t control; individualized/password-protected docs; social media before Apr 2026 (posts after that should be accessible).

Content types: Websites, web apps, PDFs/Word/PowerPoint/Excel, software, videos, audio.
Users & access modes: Screen readers/Braille, captions/transcripts, magnification/large font, keyboard navigation, speech/eye tracking, low bandwidth, mobile-only, limited time/attention.

Before the meeting:
- Send slides/materials in advance; publish a clear agenda and which tools will be used.
- Test accessibility features you’ll need (captions, spotlighting interpreters).
During the meeting:
- Ask speakers to say their name each time.
- Build brief pauses between segments for captions/note-taking/lag.
- Verbally describe on-screen actions (“select Review tab…Accessibility Checker”).
Accessibility checkpoints:
- Captions (live & recorded).
- Audio description if visuals carry meaning.
- Transcripts for recordings; live captions for synchronous sessions.
Platforms (quick notes):
- Zoom: strong captioning options; can spotlight ASL interpreter persistently.
- Teams: live captions available (licensing/settings vary).
- Webex: captioning present; has low-vision color-contrast support.
- EMR-integrated telehealth often lags (limited CC; plan workarounds like sending visuals ahead, scheduling interpreters).

Headings = navigation: Use real Heading styles (H1/H2/…) so screen-reader users can jump by section and get an outline.
Lists: Use proper bulleted/numbered lists (not manual hyphens) so readers announce “list of N items.”
Images and alt text:
- Simple images (photos/icons/logos): concise alt text (“Clinic logo,” “Pedigree symbol key”).
- Complex images (charts/graphs): give a nearby detailed description/figure caption; keep alt text very brief.
- Decorative images: mark as decorative so readers skip them (avoid reading long URLs).
- Auto-generated alt text can help brainstorm but review & edit.
Tables: Use header rows/columns; keep tables simple; split complex tables; avoid using tables for page layout.
Color & contrast: Ensure text/background contrast ≥ 4.5:1. Do not use color alone to convey meaning—add labels, patterns, icons (e.g., different marker shapes on line charts).
Links: Make the link text meaningful (“See Husky Athletics”), not “click here.”
Language tagging: Set the document language and tag multilingual sections so screen readers switch correctly.
Final check: In Office apps, run Review → Check Accessibility. Use multiple tools; one checker may miss issues (e.g., brand color contrast).

UW Digital Accessibility site & fact sheets (policies, how-tos, social media guidance).
Color contrast checkers (e.g., WebAIM).
Alt-text helpers (example tool from Arizona State was noted; still review manually).
Screen readers to test with: NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, TalkBack (test with more than one).

Pre-Apr 2026 posts are exempt; new posts should use accessibility practices: alt text, captioned videos, CamelCase hashtags, adequate contrast on text overlays.

Telehealth barriers: Lack of on-the-fly captions; staff unaware of how to enable; audio quality; need for pre-flagging DHH/low-vision needs in EHR (sometimes permissions block staff from updating).
Conferences/posters: Requests to separate text for searchability; ensure PDF accessibility (tagged PDFs, reading order, alt text)—more advanced but doable.

Clinic & patient education:
- Provide visit summaries, pedigrees, and handouts with headings, lists, tagged language, and alt text for figures.
- Caption patient-facing videos (pre- and post-test education).
- For telemedicine, pre-send visuals, confirm captions and interpreter logistics.
Lab/insurance work:
- Make utilization forms, appeals, and policy digests screen-reader friendly (real headings/lists; meaningful links).
- Ensure provider portals and shared spreadsheets meet contrast & navigation basics.
Teaching/research/posters:
- Use accessible slide templates; describe charts; export tagged PDFs; include alt text and figure descriptions.
Internal meetings:
- Choose platforms with reliable live captions; spotlight interpreters; record and share transcripts.

Headings used correctly (no “bolded faux titles”).
Lists are real lists.
All meaningful images have good alt text; decorative ones are marked decorative.
Tables have header rows/cols; complex tables split or explained.
Contrast passes (≥4.5:1).
No “color only” cues; add labels/patterns.
Links are descriptive.
Language set for doc/sections.
Captions/transcripts handled for audio/video.
Ran Accessibility Checker and fixed flagged issues.

Pick one recurring doc (e.g., patient handout or case conference slide deck) and make it fully accessible using the checklist.
Test it with a screen reader and a contrast checker.
For your next meeting, enable live captions, send materials 24–48h in advance, and add a slide with access features (captions on, interpreter, recording + transcript).
If you manage a team/shared drive, add an “Accessible Content SOP” and a template everyone can copy.