GIC Accessibility Newsletter: Issue #5

Posted on December 17, 2025

DTI Offers Training for New Accessibility Testing Extension

DTI’s agreement with Level Access has expanded to include a new accessibility testing browser extension feature called Test Accelerator. This is a manual testing tool used to conduct structured accessibility evaluations and to document results.

There will be a one-hour online training session on December 29th at 2pm.

Agenda

• Browser Extension overview
• Navigating the Finding Details page
• Creating an evaluation
• Adding and documenting findings
• Actioning results and next steps

Who should attend

• Developers
• Testers
• Technical or editorial staff involved in manual accessibility testing or review of Level Access findings

For more information and access, please reach out to Jenifer Sandonato at Jenifer.Sandonato@Delaware.gov.

Attendance will be limited!

Premier Assistive Technology Online Conference Next Month

A big event for those interested in the latest assistive technology developments is coming up next month, 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

Registration Reaches Capacity for Delaware LIFE Conference

Registration has now closed for Delaware’s 27th annual LIFE Conference on January 21, 2026, at Bally’s Dover Conference Center. This event is in-person only, with a theme this year of “Moving Forward Together.”

Topics to be discussed include a panel discussion, Smart Home Innovations, Assistive Technology Use in Schools, How to Speak Up and Make a Difference, Parenting with a Disability, Achieving Financial Independence, and many others!

2026 LIFE Conference Session Descriptions

Upcoming Accessibility Events

Positive Signs for Digital Accessibility

• Nearly 9 in 10 organizations (89%) say that prioritizing digital accessibility gives them a competitive advantage, reporting real improvements in key areas like user experience (91%), customer satisfaction (90%), and brand reputation (88%) when accessibility is prioritized.
  Source: Level Access
  
• In 2025, 83.9% of digital professionals ranked digital accessibility as either a top priority or important to their organization, representing a meaningful increase compared to prior years — proving a growing commitment to inclusion.
  Source: Applause
  
• Research shows that accessible e-commerce sites have much lower cart abandonment (23% vs. 69%) and higher sales (about 15% more) than inaccessible ones — a strong indicator that accessibility improves the experience for all users and boosts business outcomes.
  Source: TestParty

Question of the Week: Social Media and Accessibility

Do the same website rules for accessibility apply to social media?

YES.

The rules are actually exactly the same, although the path to some of those remediations is less clear.

For instance, did you know that every image shared on Facebook, Instagram, X, or LinkedIn should have alt text? Do you know how to add alt text in those formats? Here are links to those four social media’s help pages regarding alt text.

Specific Platform Alt Text Instructions:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• X
• Facebook

Learn more about keeping Delaware’s social media accessible in our recent blog post!

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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!