(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 at
https://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 at https://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 at
https://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.
