WSU marketing specialist and commissioners discuss digital accessibility and compliance deadlines

Alan Bush, marketing specialist with WSU Skagit County Extension, told Skagit County commissioners that digital accessibility must be designed into web content and program materials to comply with federal and state rules and to make extension resources usable for people with vision, hearing, dexterity or cognitive impairments.

Bush described practical steps: prefer web content over scanned PDFs, include headings and logical structure, add alt text for images, provide captions or transcripts for videos, and ensure keyboard navigation and readable formatting. He said WSU runs weekly training with its web communications team and that extension units across the state are coordinating progress toward compliance.

"If information is public, it should be accessible to the public," Alan Bush said, stressing both the service and legal aspects of the work. He referred to requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act and to Washington state's Section 508 accessibility guidance; the meeting record included an April 27 milestone for removing or fixing inaccessible content mentioned by presenters.

Commissioners acknowledged the county is also upgrading its website and has a large backlog of PDFs; several praised WSU's outreach and said they would coordinate with county web upgrades. Commissioner Burns noted that converting PDFs to readable, searchable formats also improves search-engine findability and public engagement.

Bush offered impact statements and training materials to the county and said extension staff can supply digitally compliant copies of program documents on request.