Everyone in the Mason community has some responsibility when it comes to accessible web content. The role of the ATI is to help you understand what your part is and to work collaboratively with units throughout the University to provide resources and training.
How do you fit in?
Research and Academic Faculty
You will at some point have a student or research assistant who has a disability. It is your responsibility to ensure that your course materials and communications are accessible to students who have disabilities.
This may include but is not limited to:
- Documents handed out in a face-to-face class or meeting
- Readings posted to blackboard or other course management tool
- Videos presented in a face-to-face meeting or online course.
- Tools used to communicate with students (i.e. online chats, video conferencing systems)
You are not alone. The ATI has many resources and tools available to you to help you provide accessible materials.
Web Developers and Content Managers
Whether you are developing a new web site or updating content on an existing site you are a key player in ensuring that your site is accessible to students and employees, and the larger Mason community who may access the information on the site. How can you help?
- Be aware of web accessibility standards in Section 508 opens a new window and WCAG 2.1 opens a new window to ensure that the content and controls you are including on the site will be accessible to individuals who may use assistive technology to access the information.
- Include proper coding/components in your web site structure and content to ensure compliance with ICT Accessibility Standards.
- Periodically test your site for accessibility to ensure accessibility.
- Request a formal web accessibility evaluation.
Administrative Faculty/Staff
As administrative faculty or staff you may be interacting with students and employees who need to access various electronic resources. You may also be responsible for submitting purchasing requests. Your knowledge and understanding of the issues that surround web accessibility and the web standards that Mason adheres to will help ensure that Mason’s electronic services and resources are accessible to all faculty, staff, students and community members with disabilities. How can you help?
- Learn about web accessibility
- Understand the purchasing and procurement processes in place for ensuring that electronic resources meet accessibility standards.
- Become familiar with the resources available through the ATI to help students, faculty and staff access and create accessible electronic resources (accessible text, accessible media, web accessibility testing and Assistive Technology).
- Help spread the word to the people in your office, unit and community
Purchasing and Procurement
Many individuals are requesting to purchase technology applications for use for wide-spread use at Mason. Prior to purchasing software, hardware or hosted services the application must be evaluated for accessibility as part of the Architecture Standards Review Board (ASRB). process. Recommendations from this committee will include purchasing language for the vendor to be included in the purchasing contract. How can you help?
- Familiarize yourself with the Purchasing Accessibility Language that should be included in RFP’s, contracts and contract addendums.
- Educate individuals requesting purchases about accessibility requirements including:
- Submitting a request to the Architecture Standards Review Board
- Requesting a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) from the vendor
Students
Your role as a student is to communicate with us when and if you have trouble accessing electronic resources.
Electronic resources include but are not limited to:
- Online courses (blackboard, instructor created web sites)
- Course and materials including handouts, readings, videos, online chats
- Research databases in the library.
Consider joining a student user group to help us test commonly used electronic resources available to students and employees at Mason.