Web Accessibility

Effective Date
Category
Creative Services and Web Manager
Senior Leadership Group

The Evergreen State College (Evergreen) is committed to providing access to all individuals seeking information on Evergreen’s website, including persons with disabilities. This policy is intended to assist Evergreen in meeting its obligations under state and federal law to provide persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in, and enjoy the benefits of, services, programs, or activities provided by Evergreen, unless in creates an undue burden on the institution. Compliance with this policy does not relieve Evergreen from its responsibility to otherwise comply with state and federal law.

Definitions

Equivalent access” means providing users with disabilities with web content and interaction that is similar or identical to that provided to users without disabilities, in a form that produces a similar user experience. Users should be provided direct access to the same content unless providing direct access to that content is not possible due to technical or legal limitations.

Minimum Accessibility Standard” or “Standard” is 1) Level AA compliance with the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (W3C WCAG) 2.0, and 2) compliance with Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA) 1.0.

Online content” means any web pages, web applications, electronic documents, and programmable user interfaces published on Evergreen’s public website. Online content includes, without limitation, 1) PDF, Word, PowerPoint, video, and audio files, 2) content or functionality that interacts with the website technology, access, or content, 3) content or functionality developed by, maintained by, or offered through a third-party vendor, and 4) the use of open sources. Online content does not include content that a user may encounter after leaving the Evergreen website, such as links to web content on other websites, when such content does not constitute a program or activity of Evergreen.

Subject matter expert” refers to Evergreen personnel or contractors who are creators of content and request that online content be posted on Evergreen’s website.

Site editor” refers to Evergreen personnel or contractors who publish content provided by subject matter experts to the website.

Web team” refers to Evergreen’s staff that work under the Creative Services and Web Manager. This team is ultimately responsible for assuring that content meets the Standard.

Undue burden” means significant and unreasonable difficulty or expense, including technical or legal limitations.

Procedure

Publishing New Content: As of September 2, 2020, all new, newly-added, and modified online content published by Evergreen must meet Evergreen’s Minimum Accessibility Standard unless compliance with the Standard creates an undue burden.

Site editors and the web team are responsible for ensuring that online content they create or publish meets the Standard.

When subject matter experts request that online content be posted to Evergreen’s website, the web team will assure that the content meets the Standard.

The web team will regularly conduct random audits of requested content to ensure the content meets the Minimum Accessibility Standard. The web team will use automated web accessibility tools in conjunction with manual assessment to determine whether online content meets the Standard.

If the web team determines that the online content does not meet the Minimum Accessibility Standard, the online content will not be published or will be modified to meet the Standard.

Monitoring. Using automated web accessibility tools in conjunction with manual assessment, the web team will regularly monitor Evergreen’s web content to ensure the content meet the Minimum Accessibility Standard.

Training. The web team was trained in early 2018 and annually thereafter, in the functions of web accessibility tools and techniques, the Minimum Accessibility Standard, and implementation of this Policy.

Determination of Undue Burden. The President of the college or their designee are authorized to determine if an action would result in an undue burden under this Policy. In making that determination, the President or their designee will consider all college resources available to the program for which the online content is being developed, procured, maintained, or used. The determination must be accompanied by a written statement of the reasons for reaching that conclusion, including the cost of meeting the requirement, the available funding and other resources, and the technical or legal limitations, if any. The written statement will describe how Evergreen will provide equivalent access that would not result in undue burden but would nevertheless ensure that, to the maximum extent possible, persons with disabilities receive the same benefit or services provided by Evergreen to persons without disabilities.

 

See also:

 

https://www.evergreen.edu/policy/AccessibleTechnology

https://www.evergreen.edu/accessibility 

https://www.evergreen.edu/accessibility/eita-workgroup

https://www.evergreen.edu/accessibility/web-accessibility-guidelines-online-content

https://www.evergreen.edu/accessibility/guidelines-accessible-content

https://www.evergreen.edu/accessibility/creating-accessible-documents

https://www.evergreen.edu/accessibility/creating-complex-accessible-content

https://www.evergreen.edu/accessibility/creating-accessible-webpages