Accessibility

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Definitions

  • Accessible
    • As stated in recent U.S. Department of Education (DoE) Resolution Agreement(s): “Accessible” means a person with a disability is afforded the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability in an equally effective and equally integrated manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use. The person with a disability must be able to obtain the information as fully, equally and independently as a person without a disability. Although this might not result in identical ease of use compared to that of persons without disabilities, it still must ensure equal opportunity to the educational benefits and opportunities afforded by the technology and equal treatment in the use of such technology.
  • Accessibility vs. Disability
    • Accessibility
      • General requirements for general population
      • Responsibility: Everyone involved in the design, development or delivery of electronic or web-based content.
      • Examples: Academic and Online Courses (classroom technologies like clickers and e-readers; also electronic documents, library resources, online courses, textbooks, etc.); Webistes and Web-based Applications; and Procured Goods and Services.
    • Disability Accommodation
      • Specific solution for a specific person
      • Responsibility: Disability Services Providers
      • Examples: Note Taker, Extended Time for Homework or Exams, Sign Language Interpreter.
  • Web or ICT Accessibility
    • Information and Communications Technology (ICT) accessibility refers to electronic and information technology including (but not limited to) academic and online courses, certification programs, classroom and emerging technologies, computer hardware and software, databases, dynamic rich internet applications, e-commerce, electronic documents and textbooks, information kiosks, library services, multimedia, registration systems, web-based training modules, websites, video and web conferencing systems, etc.

Laws and Guidelines

  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
    • Civil Rights Law
    • U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ), Office of Civil Rights (OCR)
    • Covers places of public accommodation
    • Courts have ruled intent of ADA includes the internet
  • Section 503
    • Civil Rights Law
    • Rehabilitation Act, as amended
    • U.S. Department of Labor (DoL)
    • Refrain from discrimination in employment, including contractors and subcontractors hired to do work for you
  • Section 504
    • Civil Rights Law
    • U.S. Department of Education (DoE)
    • Applies to colleges, universities, trade schools
    • No otherwise qualified individual with a disability shall (by reason of his/her disability) be excluded from participation in, denied benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity
  • Section 508
    • Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998
    • U.S. Access Board
    • Electronic, information and communications technology must be equally accessible to people with and without disabilities
    • Section 508 Refresh underway; expected to "incorporate by reference" WCAG 2.0
  • Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA)
    • Telecommunications law
    • Communications Act of 1934, updated for 21st century technologies
    • Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
    • Video previously broadcast on television with closed captions must also be closed captioned when delivered over the internet
  • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0
    • International guidelines, best practices
    • World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
    • Explains how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities

University System of Georgia

World Laws

  • Digital Accessibility Laws Around the Globe, including:
    • UN Treaties
    • Argentina
    • Australia and New Zealand
    • Brazil
    • Canada
    • Denmark
    • European Union
    • Holland (The Netherlands)
    • Iceland
    • India
    • Japan
    • Netherlands (see Holland)
    • Philippines
    • United Kingdom
    • United States