Digital Accessibility Is Costly When Ignored

By Nicholas C. Laudato, Ph.D.

 

Community colleges have a responsibility to provide accessible information and communication technologies for users with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). However, according to the 2017 Campus Computing Survey, "most faculty and departments do not have the expertise to address digital accessibility." The Chronicle of Higher Education recently reported that "Since early 2016, more than 360 complaints have been filed with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR) about the inaccessibility of information technology provided by colleges and universities." With the number of lawsuits for noncompliance increasing, many budget-strapped community colleges feel stuck between a rock and a hard place—they can’t afford to address accessibility, nor can they afford to ignore it.

 

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is an umbrella term that is collectively defined as "any information technology, equipment, or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment for which the principal function is the creation, conversion, duplication, automatic acquisition, storage, analysis, evaluation, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, reception, or broadcast of data or information." 

 

ICT is as wide-ranging as it sounds and includes everything from your college’s electronic content—such as public-facing and internal web pages, courses within the LMS, documents, and student and administrative business applications—to telecommunications products, computers, peripherals, office equipment, software, information kiosks, transaction machines, videos, and IT services. The enormity of ICT can be overwhelming for any organization, but even more so for underfunded, understaffed community colleges.

 

At a community college district in California, CampusWorks is analyzing ICT web pages, courses, documents, ERP screens, applications, and procurement practices to identify accessibility issues. Based on this analysis, CampusWorks is leading the creation of a comprehensive district-wide accessibility program, remediation plan, and communication plan that ensures equally-effective and integrated access to technology for all their students, faculty, staff, and constituents.

 

At another community college in California, CampusWorks is assessing a sample of the College’s public web sites and LMS courses and providing remediation recommendations that will help ensure equally-effective and integrated access to technology for all users.

 

CampusWorks is helping community colleges overcome budget and staffing limitations to achieve compliance by offering accessibility services designed especially for their needs. CampusWorks can conduct an ICT accessibility audit to help identify areas within your college’s technology environment that don’t comply with regulations; develop ICT accessibility policies and procedures to ensure all community members are on the same page and acting accordingly; create ICT accessibility, remediation, and communications plans to guide you forward and keep community members informed; and assist with remediating LMS and document content to ensure it’s accessible to all users. 

 

CampusWorks’ Academic Services Team has decades of experience in higher education with deep expertise in online education, online content delivery systems, and instructional design and technology. Our team members are well versed in accessibility standards, the requirements for accessible courses (whether online, hybrid, or face-to-face), classrooms, and administrative services for students. 

 

To learn how CampusWorks can help your college address ICT Accessibility, please visit www.campusWorksinc.com.

 

Dr. Nick Laudato is a Senior Assessment & Optimization Executive Leader at CampusWorks, a strategic consultant dedicated to helping higher education institutions by providing an independent perspective and creative solutions to improve operations, reduce costs, and position students for success.