Websites

We are not able to provide support for externally hosted/maintained websites (e.g. anything that does not end in ext.vt.edu).

You are responsible for bringing these websites into compliance. This will take time, but it is possible to achieve! Start by creating a written plan for how you will address your website based on a simple accessibilty check (see the "Check your external website" section).

In the event that you decide not to tackle bringing your website into compliance, you may opt to:

• Add info about your program to a page on your local unit page. Have your Extension agent submit an Asana request to have your program information added to a page on your unit office website--note: you will not get a multi-page website but a page within your office's website and you will not have edit access to this page.

• Add events to the Timely calendar (ask your VCE agent/office who to submit events to for posting).

• For Master Volunteer programs using Better Impact, you can add information to the Better Impact public page for your group. Use the accessibility checker provided within Better Impact (found in any dialogue box where you can enter formatted text). 

Check your external website

Use the WAVE free website checker to run an assessment of your website. This tool is not perfect and will not identify all items that are a concern, however it is a good starting point and will show you the scope what needs to be done.

Resources for your external website

Unfortunately the process of making an external website accessible complex and highly dependent on the software or content management system you've chosen and how you are managing the website. Therefore, it is impossible to provide a suscinct list of what you need to do. Our best recommendation would be to use the results of your WAVE checker process and form a committee to explore if you have the capacity and knowledge to fix it. If you do not, your group may consider transitioning away from maintaining an external website.

Having resources added to the VCE website/transitioning away from external websites 

Instead of a separate external website, you can have info about your local unit page. In this case: 

• You will not have access to the website. Someone in the VCE office will need to update it for you. 

• You cannot post flyers, other media, etc on the VCE website, including pictures of flyers (e.g. flyer converted to a jpg)

If you decide to have resources added to your VCE website, your agent can submit an Asana request (Christina has provided instructions on this for them via email).

You can also:

• Use the Timely events calendar (someone in your local VCE office has access to the local Timely page and can add you)

• Make Facebook events for all your events

• Send press releases to local news media contacts about your events/training class opening

• Consider a Google site for internal (or external, depending on your needs) resources. You will still need to use accessibility best practices.

• Use the public page in Better Impact if you are a Master Volunteer group. You will still need to use accessibility best practices.

What about internal websites/resources?

Materials that are private to your members are still technically required to be compliant.

What about old materials/archives?

If you have an archive of resources, such as a newsletter archive, you can keep materials created before April 24, 2026 as long as they are clearly marked archive, not currently being used/sent out, and are in a separate and clearly marked "archive" part of your site.