1. Procuring Accessible IT at the University of Washington: Background, Policy, Guidelines, Checklist, Resources
Sheryl Burgstahler, Director
Accessible Technology Services, UW-IT

2. Two UW centers: Access Technology Center (ATC) DO-IT Center
Founded 1984
Funded by UW for faculty, students, staff
DO-IT Center
Founded 1992
Supported with federal, state, corporate, private funds
Expanded to DO-IT Japan, and DO-IT Singapore 2016

3. What is the legal basis? Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
The Americans with Disabilities Act of and its 2008 Amendments
State and local laws and policies (e.g., WA Policy #188)

4. What does “accessible” mean?
“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.
-DoJ, OCR Resolutions

5. Approaches to access: Both are important!
Assistive technology (AT)/accommodations
Universal/inclusive design
Both are important!

6. Most common accommodations
for online course content at UW:
Creating accessible documents, mainly reformatting PDF files—20,000 pages average each quarter
Captioning videos —191 hours costing
$34,341 Fall, 2016

7. Universal design =
“the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.”
The Center for Universal Design

8. UD on a continuum UD on a continuum Interpreter for deaf student
Captioned and audio described video
Uncaptioned
video
Captioned video

9. UD of technology Builds in accessibility features
Ensures compatibility with assistive technology

10. WA Policy #188 – IT Accessibility
establishes the expectation for state agencies that people with disabilities have access to and use of information and data and be provided access to the same services and content that is available to persons without disabilities.

11. What is covered under Policy #188
websites, web applications
software
electronic documents
e-learning
multimedia
programmable user interfaces …

12. UW IT accessibility efforts guided by:
UW vision to educate a diverse student body and values of diversity, excellence, collaboration, innovation, and respect
DoJ and OCR resolutions
2015 EDUCAUSE report “IT Accessibility Risk Statements and Evidence”
Policy #188

13. uw.edu/accessibility
Terrill

14. UW Policy – IT Accessibility
The University of Washington (UW) strives to ensure that people with disabilities have access to the same services and content that are available to people without disabilities, including services and content made available through the use of IT. IT procured, developed, maintained, and used by the UW should provide substantially similar functionality, experience, and information access to individuals with disabilities as it provides to others. Examples of IT covered by this policy include web sites, software systems, electronic documents, videos, and electronic equipment such as information kiosks, telephones, and digital signs.

15. UW’s IT Accessibility Guidelines
Purpose
Definition
Scope
Standards—Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA, World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
Progress and Plan
Resources
Resources and Support for IT Accessibility
Additional Campus Resources
Legal and Policy Requirements

16. Policy #188 Specific Deadlines
By December 31, 2016: Identify an IT accessibility coordinator to be the key contact regarding the IT accessibility plan, support complaint resolution and post policy and processes
By June, 2017:
post plan to ensure new procured and developed IT is accessible and existing IT will be made accessible
develop list of prioritized non-accessible IT, alternatives for access, and actions being taken

17. UW Leadership IT Accessibility Coordinator IT Accessibility Team (ATS)
IT Accessibility Task Force
IT Accessibility Liaisons

18. Key aspects of UW approach, 1/2
Promote accessibility within context of UD, civil rights, and inclusive campus culture
Build on current policies and procedures
Model IT accessibility compliance after IT security compliance efforts
Undertake efforts that are
both reactive and proactive;
both top-down and bottom-up
Create annual reports regarding IT accessibility
Continually enhance uw.edu/accessibility with checklist, how-to processes, plans, progress, resources

19. Key aspects of UW approach, 2/2
Increase training; consultation; captioning parties, capacity building institutes, Global Accessibility Awareness Day activities and other events
Support multiple user groups
Proactively test existing websites, PDFs and train staff to remediate
Offer incentives (e.g., video captioning and PDF remediation pilots; Lynda courses)
Conduct state-wide Capacity-Building Institutes, and support state online Community of Practice

20. Procurement of accessible IT
Requirement to purchase accessible IT
No central enforcement
Procedure:
Solicit accessibility information (independent 3rd party, completed UW checklist, VPAT
Validate accessibility info received
Include accessibility assurances in contracts

21. Resources
Accessible Technology Services’ Access Technology Center of AT
Accessible Technology Services’ consultants
Accessible Technology website uw.edu/accessibiity
accessibleIT and Accessibleweb discussion lists
IT Accessibility Capacity Building Institutes
IT Accessibility Liaisons

22. Q&A and discussion