WCAG Training Videos

In this educational briefing hosted by the Nebraska Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), learn how state agencies can easily make their digital content accessible and compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.

With the April 26, 2027 compliance deadline approaching, this presentation covers foundational accessibility elements that content editors and developers must implement to ensure web pages and applications are usable for everyone.

What you will learn in this video:

• Logical Heading Structures: How to treat page headers like a structured outline (H1, H2, H3) and why you should never choose a heading level based strictly on visual font size or CSS styling.
• Descriptive Headings: Creating meaningful section titles that clearly explain the page narrative to a user.
• Meaningful Link Text: Why phrases like "click here" or "read more" break the user experience for screen readers, and how to write descriptive links that stand alone.
• Clear Form Instructions: Best practices for introducing form fields and required inputs so assistive technologies can navigate them seamlessly.
• and more

Speakers:

• Theron Polivka – IT Project Manager, Nebraska OCIO
• Julie Jurgens – Digital Accessibility Team & Software Developer

Title: WCAG 2.1 Deep Dive: Color Contrast, Readability, and Content Reflow

Description:
In this second installment of the Nebraska Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) digital accessibility briefing, learn how to audit your web pages and applications for color contrast, readability, and text resizing.

With the April 26, 2027 State Digital Accessibility Initiative compliance deadline quickly approaching, IT Project Manager Theron Polivka and Software Developer Julie Jurgens from the Digital Accessibility Team cover critical requirements under WCAG 2.1. Discover why checking your contrast ratios and screen-zoom compatibility matters for constituents with low vision or color blindness, and explore real-world examples of common design pitfalls.

What you will learn in this video:

• Contrast Ratios Explained: Understanding the strict 4.5:1 minimum contrast requirement for standard text and how to use automated checkers (like Lighthouse) to find your numbers.
• Sizing Typography Correctly: The difference between points and pixels (e.g., how an 18-point font translates to a 24-pixel font size) and how font weight impacts visual clarity.
• Content Reflow (Zoom Compatibility): Why page layouts must fluidly reflow down rather than falling off the right side of the screen when text is enlarged up to 200%.
• Live Site Audits: Julie audits legacy Nebraska agency login screens, highlighting real-world accessibility failures—such as white text on gold backgrounds and inadequate borders/focus rings.
• Information Beyond Color: Why relying strictly on color indicators (e.g., green, yellow, red statuses) leaves users with color blindness behind, and how to introduce multi-sensory signifiers.
• and more

Speakers:

• Theron Polivka – IT Project Manager, Nebraska OCIO
• Julie Jurgens – Digital Accessibility Team & Software Developer

Title: Mastering WCAG 2.1: Converting Word to PDF & Understanding Legal Exemptions

Description:
In this third installment of the Nebraska Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) digital accessibility briefing series, learn how to navigate legal compliance exemptions and discover foundational workflows for creating accessible documents.

Presented by IT Project Manager Theron Polivka and Digital Accessibility Specialist Julie Jurgens, this session features special guest Avery Chisum (OCIO Legal Counsel) to break down the upcoming April 26, 2027 State Digital Accessibility Initiative compliance deadline. Explore the explicit legal requirements for archiving digital records, the pitfalls of legacy PDF files, and the step-by-step workflow required to make Microsoft Word documents fully accessible before exporting them.

What you will learn in this video:

• Understanding Legal Exemptions: Legal Counsel Avery Chisum reviews the two primary ADA web accessibility exemptions applicable to Nebraska state agencies.
• Category 1 – Archived Web Content: The strict four-part test content must meet to qualify as a legal "archive" (including rules on creation dates, reference-only usage, designated storage areas, and zero modifications).
• Category 2 – Pre-existing Electronic Documents: How legacy formats (Word docs, PDFs, spreadsheets) qualify for exemptions—and why frequently used constituent forms from prior years are not exempt and must be updated.
• The Web Aim Screen Reader Survey: A look into recent user data showing why 86% of PDFs cause critical accessibility roadblocks for screen reader users compared to standard web pages.
• The Document Workflow (Author, Structure, Check, Export, Review): Why you must resolve all accessibility issues directly inside Microsoft Word before saving your file as a PDF, and a sneak peek into configuring hidden document properties.
• and more

Speakers:

• Theron Polivka – IT Project Manager, Nebraska OCIO
• Julie Jurgens – Digital Accessibility Team & Software Developer
• Avery Chisum – Legal Counsel, Nebraska OCIO