Box is an enterprise solution for storing, managing and sharing documents at Berkeley. If you have documents that meet the exception criteria and will not be remediated, we highly recommend that you use Box to archive them in order to meet the new Title II (ADA) requirements which take effect on April 24, 2026.
Before you begin, be sure you understand your legal obligations under the new ADA Title II updates, and the requirements for archived content .
Also before you begin, review the Box Quota FAQs and Box Account Lifecycle.
Benefits and features
In addition to its intuitive file/folder structure, Box offers:
- Granular access control, public sharing
- Version control
- Tags
- Custom metadata
- Collections
- Browser and desktop versions
- Google Workspace, Windows, Adobe and Docusign integrations
- Usage analytics
Tags, metadata, and collections can be used to classify pre-existing electronic documents, so your current and future team members understand which documents are not accessible. These also enhance search functionality.
Note: Tags applied to documents will display publicly on shared documents, but collections will not.
Suggested use
No matter how you decide to structure your documents, use identifiers in file names so it’s clear to staff and end users which files are accessible and which are not, even after users download them:
- “Document name - archived.pdf” if not accessible
- “Document name - a11y.pdf” or “Document name - accessible.pdf” if accessible / remediated
Use easy to read file names that can be read by assistive technologies.
Use a SPA account to create your Box account, and then provide access to team members. Benefits:
- 500 GB of storage space (option to request more)
- Longevity of access: You never want primary ownership tied to a single individual.
Option 1
Store only your exception documents on Box, completely separate from your new and accessible documents. On your website:
- Link to individual documents on Box from a web page that lists archived documents. Make sure they are clearly identified as archived documents using a heading. -OR-
- Link to a folder named “Archived documents” on Box and allow people to view the list of documents on the Box interface. -OR-
- Link to documents from an "/archive" subdirectory section on your website -OR-
- (less common) If archived documents are dispersed across your website, identify them within the link text. [Here’s a sentence with an example document (archived).]
Option 2
Store all of your website’s documents on Box. Suggested practices:
- Store accessible documents and exception documents in separate folders.
- Use tags, metadata, and/or collections to classify documents. You may wish to tag documents as Title II exceptions, accessible, professionally remediated, etc. Use custom metadata to identify review dates, reviewers, owners, or WCAG compliance levels. Plan a nomenclature and classification system that works for you and your team. Start simple and build it out as needed.
Screenshots
Here’s an example of the editor view of “all files” at the top level. The folder icons show people because these folders have been shared:
Editor view inside a folder, with mouse hover on the “Collections” that the last file is part of:
An example of custom metadata that can be added, if you choose:
This is the public view of a shared folder; this folder has been set up to allow anyone with the link to view and download files:
FAQs
- What’s an “exception document”?
A pre-existing electronic document that was posted before April 24, 2026, is not currently used for program access, and is retained only for research or recordkeeping. Refer to ADA Title II Updates and Archiving Web Content for additional information. - Is storing exception documents in Box a requirement?
No. But if you have exception documents, it is strongly recommended that you store them separately from your accessible documents, and that you label them as archived, both for staff and end users. If you do not clearly differentiate exception documents from accessible documents, it will be difficult for your team and end users to know which documents are accessible, and which have been reviewed and identified as exception documents. - Can we store only exception documents on Box?
No, you can store any of your documents on Box. Just ensure you stay under the Box Quota. - Are there any other best practices for exception documents?
We recommend that you add “archived” to the file name, in the event that a file is moved, misclassified, or loses its tag. This also makes it clear to end users that they should expect the file to lack accessibility features. - What if we remediate an archived document?
Over time, it’s possible that users with disabilities will request an accomodation to access some of your exception documents. When you remediate an archived document on Box, you may still keep it on Box, or you may move it back to the website. If it will stay on Box, be sure to update the tags or metadata, and the file name, so it’s clear that the document has been remediated and is now accessible. Depending on the structure of your file system you may decide to store remediated exception documents in a different folder or collection. - What if we need to edit an archived document?
In most cases, editing an archived document “restarts the clock” and it will need to be remediated to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. After it’s remediated, you may still keep it on Box, or you may move it back to the website. If it will stay on Box, be sure to update tags, metadata, location and/or the file name as needed. - The Box service page says it shouldn’t be used for archiving. Why is it being recommended?
Definitions of “archiving” vary. As long as your documents are periodically accessed, this is not considered the “deep storage” archiving that is prohibited by Box. But by maintaining exception documents in a separate location and marking them as “archived,” this aligns with the Title II definition of an archive. - Should Box be used for digital documents of historical value?
Box is not the best solution for this use case, as it doesn’t protect documents from digital decay or file obsolence. Contact the library’s digital preservation team for a different solution.