Web Accessibility
University Marketing and Communications Web Resources > Web Accessibility > Reasons for Web Accessibility
II. Reasons for Web Accessibility
ADA compliance
"MTU complies with all federal and state laws and regulations regarding discrimination, including the Americans with Disability Act of 1990 (ADA). If you have a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for equal access to education and services at MTU, please call Dr. Gloria Melton, Associate Dean of Students at 487-2212. For other concerns about discrimination, you may contact your advisor, department head/chair, or the Affirmative Action Office at 487-3310."
Americans with Disabilities Act--Key Concepts of the Law
Promotion and marketing
Users who have difficulty finding information, reading text, accessing images and multimedia, or just feel uncomfortable visiting a page will not linger. Comfort and ease of use are proven marketing tools for web pages. Choice of navigational elements is closely related to integrated marketing, so highly accessible menus, image maps, and site maps contribute to positive marketing.
Enhanced communication
Collaboration, sponsorship, and public outreach are enhanced when no assumptions are made regarding the abilities and technologies of external users. Duties of internal faculty and staff are relieved when posted internal web information is automatically accessible.
Consistency of style
Consistency of style is very closely related to accessibility. Consistency of overall layout and navigation is important to orientation and ease of use. Practicing standard markup is strongly encouraged, such as using level headers, paragraph tags, ordered and unordered lists, blockquotes, directory listings, and table headers in their proper context. Using standard markup promotes cross-browser access. It also clarifies the coding for other persons who may need to edit the web page.
Progressive university image
Many universities and other organizations have a clearly-defined accessibility commitment, which extends to web pages and other digital media. Awareness of changing technologies and social attitudes is an important goal for an academic environment.
Other University Assistive Technology and Web Accessibility Initiatives
- University of Wisconsin Madison
- California State University, Sacramento
- California State University, Northridge
- Gallaudet University
- Georgia Tech
- Penn State
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- Stanford
- Temple University
- University of Toronto
- University of Washington
- Sonoma State University
Michigan Tech Strategic Plan
Goal 7:Image of the Michigan Tech Plan clearly states that one strategy for building our reputation beyond the borders of Michigan and the Midwest such that Michigan Tech becomes a national university of choice is to develop first-class web presence.
Michigan Tech Plan | Goal 7: Image
Section 508 standards required for federally funded sites
"In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Inaccessible technology interferes with an individual's ability to obtain and use information quickly and easily. Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, to make available new opportunities for people with disabilities, and to encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals. The law applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. Under Section 508 (29 U.S.C. ' 794d), agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information that is comparable to the access available to others."
The Section 508 standards are currently recommended by the Web Policy Committee for implementation at Michigan Tech. Section 508 standards were chosen because of the close relationship academia has with federal agencies. The standards are not required for academia (yet). The Section 508 checkpoints are highly compatible with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) checkpoints, which are becoming a global standard.
"Accessibility changes in WebCT version 3.7 will improve the use of WebCT with adaptive technology, bringing WebCT into compliance with the US Rehabilitation Act, section 508, in force June 21, 2001."