At Mendoza College of Business, like numerous educational establishments, we bear the obligation to guarantee the accessibility of our digital content and services to everyone. Embracing digital accessibility is both a legal necessity, as stipulated by laws such as Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and a moral duty, ensuring that all students, faculty and staff can equally access educational resources and opportunities.
For instance, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the ADA require educational institutions to comply with specific accessibility requirements:
- Section 508: States that electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained or used by federal agencies must be accessible to people with disabilities.
- Title II of the ADA: Prohibits discrimination based on disability in public entities, including public colleges and universities.
- Title III of the ADA: Extends these protections to private institutions.
Improving digital accessibility involves making websites and digital content more accessible to individuals with disabilities, enabling them to effectively interact with and access information online. This encompasses enhancements in the areas of design, development, and user experience.
Key changes include:
- Enhanced navigation: Ensuring that users can easily navigate through the website using a keyboard, screen reader, or other assistive technologies.
- Improved color contrast: Adjusting color combinations to meet the needs of users with low vision or color blindness.
- Text alternatives: Providing text descriptions for images and multimedia content to assist visually impaired users.
- Captions and transcripts: Adding captions to videos and transcripts for audio content to support deaf or hard-of-hearing users.
- Consistent layout and design: Implementing a uniform structure and design across the website to make it more predictable and user-friendly.
- Readable and understandable content: Ensuring that text is written in clear, concise language, and providing explanations for abbreviations, jargon, or complex terms.
Here is the timeline for our next steps:
- Immediate: In my role as full-stack developer with Mendoza IT, I plan to persist in mastering WCAG guidelines and strive to attain the Web Accessibility Specialist certification from IAAP to enhance my expertise and better help the College with necessary changes. Concurrently, the University is working on integrating Canvas with Panorama, a platform designed to provide a comprehensive solution for creating, managing, and delivering accessible media content.
- Short-term: Our web team will conduct a comprehensive accessibility audit of the existing websites, identifying areas that need improvement.
- Medium-term: We will implement changes and improvements based on the audit findings.
- Long-term: We will continue to monitor and maintain accessibility improvements, conduct periodic reviews, provide training for staff to ensure ongoing compliance with accessibility guidelines and collaborate with University MarCom and OIT to enhance accessibility initiatives, including the establishment of a Digital Accessibility Committee.
By prioritizing digital accessibility, we stand to gain in several ways:
- Ensuring that every student can fully engage in coursework and access educational resources, resulting in increased student retention and academic success.
- Appealing to a broader audience, including individuals with disabilities who may prefer attending a more accessible institution, which can bolster the institution's reputation and competitiveness within the higher education landscape.
- Showcasing our dedication to diversity and inclusion, enhancing the College’s brand and attracting a varied group of students, faculty and staff.
In summary, the integration of digital accessibility, including the dedicated efforts of our web team and the planned Canvas and Panorama collaboration, is both a legal mandate, as highlighted by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the ADA, and an ethical obligation for the Mendoza College of Business. By emphasizing digital accessibility, we can guarantee equal access to educational resources and opportunities, appeal to a larger audience and demonstrate our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and improve the reputation of Mendoza College of Business. Prioritizing digital accessibility will not only benefit people with disabilities but will also enhance the overall user experience for everyone.
Furthermore, it is essential to recognize the significance of Global Accessibility Awareness Day on May 18. This day aims to raise awareness about digital accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities. By participating in and promoting this day, we can further demonstrate our dedication to fostering an inclusive digital environment and continue our efforts in ensuring that everyone has equal access to education and resources.
Lastly, I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to Chris Fruehwirth and Brian Connelly for their unwavering support and commitment throughout our web improvement journey. Additionally, I want to extend my thanks to Nicole Velasquez for her incredible collaboration and forward-thinking mindset that has greatly contributed to our success.
Sincerely,
Minhee
Minhee Myung (she/her/hers)
Full-stack Developer
Mendoza IT
Full-stack Developer
Mendoza IT