GIC Accessibility Newsletter: Issue #7

Posted on March 3, 2026

Accessibility Updates on the Way for Current Common Look and Feel

The GIC is responsible for creating the guidelines of our state website Common Look and Feel (CLF). Most of the agencies we work with are currently on CLF4, and all will eventually move to the new Lighthouse Design System. One of the biggest reasons we created Lighthouse was to address hard-coded accessibility issues that WordPress editors can’t change.

But we aren’t waiting around for those migrations to keep improving our state website accessibility! The GIC is announcing some new updates that all our agencies will notice, including big changes to the official state header!

We explained the details in a recent blog post:
Coming Soon: New Improvements to CLF4 – Government Information Center

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Is Automation the Future of Ongoing Digital Accessibility?

Anyone who works on a government website has been keenly aware of the challenges of achieving accessibility. Many websites have been chugging along with the exact same infrastructure for years, piling up inaccessible PDFs and other non-compliant content on an ongoing basis.

Outsourcing the remediation sounds great, but at what cost? Whose budget has a big line item for remediation of non-accessible documents?

Efforts to create more affordable software to address remediation are underway, and here in Delaware we’re making good use of tools like our new Editoria11y plug-in and Level Access to review any new content before it’s published.

Here’s a commentary by the Head of Industry Strategy for the Public Sector at Adobe, making the case that automation will be a huge part of digital accessibility in the future:

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DTI Accessibility Training Session Recordings Available

In case you missed the recent Level Access training sessions, DTI is posting recordings of those sessions. This will also be useful if you DID attend, but would like to review the material as a reference.

Here are the four sessions available:

Accessibility Testing – Visual Analysis
This session focuses on manual accessibility testing techniques performed through visual analysis, including low vision and zoom considerations, color and contrast, images, headings, and links.

Accessibility Testing – Keyboard and Automated
This session covers manual testing techniques using keyboard navigation and automated tools, including focus order, operability, avoiding keyboard traps, changes on user input, hidden content, focus management, and language considerations.

Accessibility Testing – Screen Readers
This session focuses on manual accessibility testing using screen readers, with emphasis on keyboard interaction, focus behavior, operability, user input changes, hidden content, and language considerations as experienced by assistive technology users.

Hands-on Accessibility Testing Workshop
This interactive workshop allows participants to apply testing techniques to real-world projects in small groups. Attendees will identify accessibility defects, develop remediation recommendations, and practice reporting and prioritizing findings for their teams.

These sessions are recommended for developers, testers, designers, content owners, and staff involved in accessibility remediation, validation, or quality assurance.

If you need access, have questions, or need other assistance, please contact:
DTI_Digital_Accessibility@delaware.gov

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Assistive Technology Conference Underway

A big event for those interested in the latest assistive technology developments is underway now, and there are options for online attendance.

The Assistive Technology Industry Association 2026 Conference is being held in Orlando. For those unable to attend in person, there will be both free and paid online sessions available.

In addition to sessions with industry thought leaders, there will be updates on the latest assistive tech developments from representatives from Apple, Google, and Microsoft among other companies.

Those attending online can experience the conference on the following schedule:

• January 29 – 31: Roughly 40 live stream sessions PLUS five AssistiveWare sponsored pre-recorded sessions available.
• Mid-February: All 100+ recorded sessions available for viewing.
• April 30: Access to recorded sessions ends.

Register for the ATIA 2026 Virtual Conference

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Did You Know?

• People with disabilities across North America and Europe hold a combined disposable income of over $2.6 trillion.
• 22% of the global population have at least one disability.
• Globally, 756 million working-age people (25-64) have at least one disability.
• 38% of people with disabilities in the US are employed.

SOURCE: 2024 Global Economics of Disability Report

Don’t forget, the GIC is here to help! Use this form to ask us any digital accessibility question.

And don’t forget to subscribe to this newsletter and the blog at the top of this page!