This program will look at ways colleges and universities have (and can) run afoul of ADA Section 508, as well as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (2.0) Recent changes made to the enforcement of these regulations have impacted higher educational institutions in the areas of technology, including but not limited online instruction, visual presentations, college webpages, and learning resources. Kevin Rydberg, the senior accessibility consultant with Siteimprove, a website optimization company, has stated that the changes “draw a line in the sand. “For those who have used the excuse of ‘We don’t know what the rule change is going to be, so we can’t design for it,’ that excuse is now gone.” He has never been more correct. The time to act is now…and not later.
Section 508 is a 1998 amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that establishes federal accessibility guidelines for electronic and information technology. Numerous state colleges, as well as private institutions, have updated their online educational material to become compliant. In January 2017, the 508 standards were updated. They went into effect on January 18, 2018. It is those updates that seem to have caused some issues that will be explained in the presentation.
This presentation is coming at the perfect time in the world of education. Recent articles, decisions, and policy changes have come into effect that impact how a student accesses vital educational material, as well as how those schools deliver and store that information. In March of 2022, the Department of Education stated “Inaccessible web content means that people with disabilities are denied equal access to information. An inaccessible website can exclude people just as much as steps at an entrance to a physical location. Ensuring web accessibility for people with disabilities is a priority for the Department of Justice”.
In recent years due to technological advances and COVID-induced policies, numerous services have moved online and people rely on websites like never before for all aspects of daily living. For example, accessing voting information, finding up-to-date health and safety resources, and looking up mass transit schedules and fare information increasingly depend on having access to websites.
People with disabilities navigate the web in a variety of ways. People who are blind may use screen readers, which are devices that speak the text that appears on a screen. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may use captioning. And people whose disabilities affect their ability to grasp and use a mouse may use voice recognition software to control their computers and other devices with verbal commands.
The lack of understanding colleges and universities have in regard to ADA, Section 508, and accessibility related to WCAG 2.0 is disturbing, given the length of time all have existed and the number of lawsuits that have outlined what is a reasonable accommodation. By examining the regulations and how they are applied in institutions of higher education, college, and university professionals can replicate successful models that ensure equal access to education.
Access to education is the most important aspect of any educational institution’s mission. If this access is denied, or unnecessarily hindered, it can have serious unintended consequences for not only students but also the institution as a whole. Having a clear and concise understanding of Prior Learning Assessments, as well as a plan in place to reward students who possess those skills and credits, is one sure way to foster not only student success, but overall success for the school, and the community.
Areas Covered:-
Attendees will be able to examine the importance of access to web-based and digital education, and how this access can be unfettered and provided in colleges and universities. This will be done by the following:
Background:-
Per the UD Department of Education, in January 2017, the 508 standards were updated. They went into effect on January 18, 2018. To ensure institutions of higher education are in compliance, courts have recommended schools refer to the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0 AA). The WCAG is a set of accessibility standards to help guide web teams in making their work more accessible to all, including users with disabilities. The updated 2018 version of the ADA uses the standards published in the WCAG 2.0.
Why Should You Attend:-
The US Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is cracking down on school websites, and schools are scrambling to avoid conflicts with the OCR to ensure people with disabilities have equal access to programs, services, and activities. The OCR currently has 45 active investigations focused on US institutions of higher education and dozens more in regard to K 12 institutions. These investigations into web accessibility cases involve college websites, distance learning, remote apps, and online educational organizations. There are even inquiries regarding violations with school and university websites' digital coursework, multimedia, and library resources. This presentation will examine changes made to Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act, along with the learning implication associated with current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0). Guidelines and Best Practices will be addressed allowing higher education stakeholders to understand what is expected of them in relation to both of these technology mandates.
Because of these inquiries, the Department of Justice is updating its effort to increase focus on compliance with federal accessibility laws in the digital world. This is an issue that gained a great deal of attention during the COVID lockdown and the remote work and instruction that occurred as a result. According to the DOJ, “widespread telework arrangements revealed some key deficiencies in the website and internet accessibility for workers with disabilities, a “digital divide” that has led to employment gaps and other negative outcomes.”
The focus on the “why” of what we as academic institutions should be at the center of actions and policies. Understanding the “why” allows for strong, specific formulas in terms of academic success. The “why” allows us to understand the issue, the need for change, and the reason for implementation.
Who will Benefit:-
Any Organization, Institution or Group User can register
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Kent Seaver has 23 years of experience in the field of student assessment, prior learning, and academic success. He is presently the Director of Academic Operations at the University of Texas at Dallas for the Jindal School of Management. Kent has researched the impact mentoring has on the landscape of higher education, as well as work force placement impacts and advising successes related to their educational requirements. Kent has written articles dealing with prior learning, student success, and retention for the American Technical Education Association, AACRAO, NACADA and Military Advanced Education.
