(A)
Purpose:
Miami university is committed to
providing equal opportunity for qualified individuals with disabilities to
participate in, and benefit from, Miami university's services, programs, and
activities. The purpose of this rule is to acknowledge that Miami university's
commitment to equal opportunity for qualified individuals with disabilities
includes services, programs, and activities that Miami university delivers
through web-based, digital, and emerging technologies.
(B)
Definitions:
"Equally effective alternate access,"
with respect to electronic and information technology, means an alternative
format, medium, or other aid that timely and accurately communicates the same
content as does the original format or medium, and which is appropriate to an
individual's disability. To provide equally effective alternate access, Miami
university shall provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services as necessary
to afford individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to obtain the same
result, gain the same benefit, or reach the same level of achievement, in the
most integrated setting appropriate to their needs, but Miami university need
not ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities achieve the identical
result or level of achievement as individuals without disabilities. Nothing in
this rule requires Miami university to take any action that results in a
fundamental alteration in the nature of a service, program, or activity or
undue financial and administrative burden. Miami university will, nevertheless
ensure, to the maximum extent possible, that qualified students with
disabilities receive the benefits or services provided by Miami
university.
"Fundamental alteration" means a change
to a service, program, or activity that fundamentally alters the nature of the
service, program, or activity, which includes academic courses or technology.
While not required under this policy to undertake actions that would constitute
a fundamental alteration to a service, program, or activity, Miami university
will take any other action that would not result in such an alteration, but
would nevertheless ensure that, to the maximum extent possible, qualified
individuals with disabilities receive the benefits or services provided by
Miami university.
"Legacy pages" means web pages created
and published before January 2012.
"Timely" and "timeliness" mean access
in sufficient time for the person with the disability to have an equal
opportunity to obtain the same result, to gain the same benefit, or to reach
the same level of achievement as persons without disabilities.
Web content accessibility guidelines
("WCAG") refers to standards for web content accessibility that have been
developed by the world wide web consortium ("W3C"), an international community
where member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to
develop web standards. For purposes of this rule, Miami university utilizes
wcag version 2.0, level aa when determining web content
accessibility.
(C)
Policy
(1)
Web content
Beginning December 14, 2016, all new
and redeveloped web pages, web applications, and web content, created by Miami
university, on websites and subdomains used for Miami' university's academic
divisions, academic departments, and administrative offices shall conform to
wcag 2.0 aa. A listing of covered websites can be found athttps://miamioh.edu/accessmu/
. In addition, for all websites and subdomains used for
Miami university's academic divisions, academic departments, and administrative
offices, all web pages, web applications, and web content that were created and
published on or after January 2012 shall be made to conform to wcag 2.0 aa by
June 2018. Legacy pages shall be made accessible upon request of a qualified
student with a disability. Exceptions to these requirements for certain types
of content may be found athttps://miamioh.edu/accessmu/
. Any requests for exceptions for specific content should be
directed to the accessible technology coordinator.
(2)
Textbook and
course material accessibility
Miami university will provide
individuals with disabilities who register with student disability services
(sds) equally effective communication of curricular materials (e.g., textbooks,
workbooks, articles, compilations, presentations, collaborative assignments,
videos, and images or graphical materials) converted to alternate formats (see
procedures for requesting alternative format materials athttps://miamioh.edu/student-life/sds/student-tools/accommodation-procedures/accessible-course-materials/index.html
). In selecting texts and book-length course materials,
including any supplementary digital applications or content provided by the
publishers of such texts and book-length course materials, Miami university
academic departments will consider the availability of materials in accessible
electronic formats, such as: the daisy consortium's digital accessible
information system "DAISY" standard and the international digital publishing
forum's epub3 specification for digital publication and documents; wcag 2.0 aa
and the w3c's web accessibility initiative accessible rich internet
applications suite ("WAI-ARIA") 1.0 for web content; the w3c's authoring tool
accessibility guidelines ("ATAG") 2.0 for web authoring tools; the w3c's
guidance on applying wcag 2.0 to non-web information and communications
technologies ("WCAG2ICT") and section 508- 1194.21 for non-web software and
content; the w3c's mathematical markup language ("MathML") 3.0 for materials
incorporating digital mathematical and scientific notation; the braille
authority of north America's ("BANA") guidelines and standards for tactile
graphics (2010) and the bana guidelines for the production of braille materials
through the use of braille production software (2007) for hard copy braille;
and any successors to these standards.
(3)
Student
organization websites
The websites, web pages, and web
applications (e.g., "The Hub,") that Miami university provides for use by
student organizations that have registered with Miami university shall conform
with wcag 2.0 aa, and shall not block or interfere with any accessibility
features in content uploaded by student organization content providers. These
websites, web pages, and web applications shall employ templates with fields
designed to assist content providers with producing and uploading wcag 2.0
aa-conforming content, and Miami university will provide other tools and
resources to assist student organization content providers with producing and
uploading wcag 2.0 aa-conforming content.
(4)
Procurement
All web technology or software that
Miami university procures for use by its students shall conform to the relevant
accessibility standards (a listing of relevant standards can be found at
https://miamioh.edu/accessmu/
) as long as the technology is commercially available and
its purchase does not result in undue financial and administrative burdens or a
fundamental alteration. If a product is available and meets some, but not all,
of the relevant accessibility standards, Miami university will procure the
product that best meets the standard, unless its purchase would result in undue
financial and administrative burdens or a fundamental alteration, or unless an
exception applies pursuant to Miami university's accessible technology
procurement policy. The accessmu website,https://miamioh.edu/accessmu/
website contains a listing of exceptions. Exceptions can
only be granted by the procurement review committee.
(5)
Links to
additional resources
Grievance process: Students who believe
they have been denied appropriate disability-related accommodations, including
appropriate auxiliary aids and services, may file a grievance with Miami
university's student disability services or with Miami university's office of
equity and equal opportunity: grievance procedures.
Inaccessible digital file conversion
submission page: Qualified individuals with disabilities who are students,
staff, or applicants for admission to Miami university may submit or upload for
Miami's remediation inaccessible documents, images, and multimedia: created by
Miami university and published on its websites, or sent to or received at a
Miami university email address, or posted to a Miami website (such as the hub
https://muhub.campuslabs.com/engage/
), by Miami university students or staff in connection with
curricular activities, student government, major student publications (Miami
Student, Miami Quarterly, and UP Magazine), student organizations that have
registered with Miami university, residential life activities (e.g., dorm movie
nights) sponsored or organized by Miami's Residence Hall Association, student
participation in or attendance at campus theatrical and musical performances,
student participation in or attendance at campus art shows, or student
participation in or attendance at recreational events and activities (e.g.,
intramural sports). Remediation may be requested using the inaccessible digital
file conversion submission page.
Qualified individuals with disabilities
who are former students of Miami university may submit or upload for Miami
university's remediation inaccessible files (e.g., documents, images, and
multimedia) on websites that Miami university directs former students to use
for completion of critical or important functions (e.g., websites used for
obtaining transcripts).
Miami university generally will
remediate inaccessible files within three business days of submission or
upload. If remediation cannot be accomplished within this time frame, Miami
university will advise the submitting individual of the steps it will take to
remediate the file, as well as the time frame it anticipates it will need to
complete the remediation.