Policy developed to boost web accessibility

More and more of the University’s business is moving to electronic formats, and access to electronic information is fast becoming critical to Iowa’s students, staff, faculty, patients, and others. Among them are persons who may not be able to see, hear, or recognize colors. For that reason, the University’s Information Technology Services (ITS), in collaboration with an intercollegiate task force, recently has put forward a policy setting minimum standards for making World Wide Web resources “accessible, usable, understandable, and navigable” to a wide audience.

Almost two years ago, Molly Langstaff, director of ITS Academic Technologies, assembled a committee of staff and faculty from across the campus to look into universal access issues. As part of its activities over the past year, the committee drafted a policy, the “Accessibility Policy for Web Resources,” which is in a 90-day public comment period. Campus IT leaders from each college and major administrative unit have the opportunity to discuss the potential impact within their college and provide feedback or modifications before the policy is finalized. Public meetings also may be needed to fully communicate the policy guidelines and receive comments. The draft is at www.its.uiowa.edu/cio/Policy/FinalDraft/WebAccessibility.htm.

“The University of Iowa has been a strong advocate for accessibility to buildings and to print information for everyone, regardless of disabilities,” Langstaff says. “It’s a central part of our core values. This policy is an extension of that core belief that all members of our university community have the opportunity to access the information, activities, and resources we provide.”

The draft policy offers guidelines, standards, and templates for those creating and maintaining web resources.

“These should be considered the minimum standards,” Langstaff says.

The web site at www.its.uiowa.edu/its/accessibility/ offers additional information as well as campus resources available to help meet the new standards.

According to the draft policy, each department or unit should establish priorities and timetables for updating its existing web resources to meet or exceed policy standards. New web resources should meet or exceed the policy standards. All web resources must contain a statement about accessibility and a contact person.

There can be exceptions to the policy when immediate compliance places an undue burden on the department or when it is not technically feasible, but then the department should provide alternate means of accessing the information. The policy also discusses faculty responsibilities to students taking classes with web components and sets forward dispute and grievance procedures.

David Dobbins, chief information officer for the University and sponsor of IT-related policies for the campus, says he expects the policy to take effect this month with whatever modifications are necessary.