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Docusaurus Technology Accommodations

This page summarizes accessibility support and accommodation considerations for Docusaurus in the capstone course. The sections below are also organized so the same information can be reused for university accessibility review questions when needed.

Product/Service Information​

1. Name of Product or Service​

Docusaurus

2. Description and Usage​

Docusaurus is the documentation platform used in the course to publish project requirements, design materials, progress updates, technical references, and final project documentation as a version-controlled website. Students use it because it supports collaborative editing, source control integration, and deployment workflows that match modern software engineering practice.

3. Product/Service Website​

4. How many individuals will use this product/service?​

More than 100 individuals in a semester. Capstone sections usually enroll about 20 to 25 students each, and there are typically 5 to 6 sections in a semester, which places expected usage above 100 users before including instructors and teaching assistants.

5. How many individuals will be required to use this product/service for coursework or job function?​

More than 100 individuals are required to use Docusaurus for coursework or instructional support in a semester. Capstone sections usually enroll about 20 to 25 students each, and there are typically 5 to 6 sections in a semester, which places required usage above 100 users before including instructors and teaching assistants.

6. Intended Audience​

Students, employees, and members of the public when course documentation is published on a public GitHub Pages site.

7. Contract Expiration Date​

Docusaurus is open-source software. This field can generally be left blank unless the request is tied to a separate hosting or support contract.

8. Are you submitting this request for yourself or on behalf of someone else?​

This is requestor-specific and should be completed by the instructor, staff member, or administrator submitting the form.

Exception Request Details​

9. Have you compared this product or service to others?​

Yes.

10. Researched Alternatives and Why They Are Not Acceptable Replacements​

  • Microsoft Word: Familiar to many students, but not well-suited to collaborative version control, continuous publishing, or maintaining software documentation in the same repository as the code.
  • Google Docs: Good for collaborative editing, but it does not provide the same repository-based workflow, deployment model, or long-term maintainability for technical documentation sites.
  • MkDocs: A reasonable documentation generator, but the course template, examples, and support materials are built around Docusaurus and its integration with the existing repository and publishing workflow.

11. Reasonable Accommodations​

The use of Docusaurus does not change the learning objectives of the course. Reasonable accommodations may include:

  • Blind/Low Vision: Allow students to author content in accessible editors, use screen readers and browser zoom, and provide accessible templates that encourage headings, alt text, and semantic structure.
  • Deaf/Hard of Hearing: Provide captions or transcripts for any documentation tutorials and ensure instructions and feedback are available in written form.
  • Keyboard-Only Users: Support keyboard-based editing workflows in the chosen editor or browser and provide documentation templates that minimize complex interface interactions.
  • Speech-to-Text Users: Allow the use of speech recognition software to draft and edit Markdown documentation and related content.
  • Students with Limited or No Speech: Permit written participation through documentation commits, pull request comments, issue discussions, and written feedback instead of requiring verbal presentation alone.
  • Color Blindness: Do not rely solely on color in diagrams, callouts, screenshots, or charts embedded in the documentation site; require text labels and captions.
  • Cognitive or Learning Disabilities: Provide page templates, checklists, examples, milestone-based writing guidance, and additional time where appropriate.
  • Motor Disabilities: Permit assistive input devices and alternative authoring workflows, including editing in local tools or browser-based editors that work better with the student's assistive technology.

12. Does the vendor have accessibility documentation?​

Limited public documentation exists, but a formal VPAT may not be available.

13. Accessibility Documentation to Attach​

  • Docusaurus Documentation
  • Official Docusaurus documentation noting its accessibility goals and any local accessibility testing or course template review materials prepared by the department

14. Notes​

Docusaurus is an open-source static site generator rather than a closed vendor-managed platform. Accessibility depends both on the framework and on how the course template and student-authored content are implemented. Because course sites may be public, local testing of headings, alt text, color contrast, keyboard navigation, and screen reader behavior remains important even when the framework itself is designed with accessibility in mind.