Small changes...big differences, summer 2012, v.12 no.3

              Oklahoma ABLE Tech
Volume 12, Issue 3
Summer 2012
Assistive Technology
Small Changes...Big Diff erences
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Web Accessibility for Higher Education Project
Just as the physical world of buildings and facilities
can pose barriers to individuals with disabilities, the
virtual environment of information and communication
technology (ICT) can pose many barriers to individuals
with disabilities. Th e Americans with Disabilities Act
prohibits discrimination of people with disabilities and
requires standards to provide for accessible architecture
and programs. In 2001, federal standards were adopted
as part of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act to
improve the accessibility of ICT. ICT includes computers,
telephone equipment, multimedia, distance learning
systems, soft ware, and websites.
Th e federal 508 standards are now outdated, and
the federal Access Board is due to release an updated set
of standards within the next two years which will result
in an update for Oklahoma’s standards. Th e 2010 passage
of the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments and
consumer complaints regarding inaccessible information
communication technology in government and private
business has resulted in a resurgence of interest in ICT
accessibility compliance.
Oklahoma ABLE Tech’s is providing targeted
training and technical assistance program to assist
Oklahoma’s Higher Education Institutions to increase the
accessibility and legal compliance of their institutional
websites. Th rough a partnership with WebAIM and
the Southwest ADA Center, the program will survey
institutions of higher education’s websites for compliance
to future ICT standards.
WebAIM and OK ABLE Tech will then provide anal-ysis
and prepare individual reports to the institutions.
Th e reports will compare current web accessibility to
future WCAG 2.0 standards. In October, WebAIM
and Oklahoma ABLE Tech will train stakeholders
(administration and developers) at a two-day meeting
to provide the specifi c tools, techniques, and resourc-es
needed to promote and develop an accessible web
presence. Over a multi-year process, institutions will
be guided through a multi-modal approach to devel-op
a detailed plan of action resulting in improved web
accessibility and compliance to the revised standards.
For more information please contact Oklahoma
ABLE Tech or visit okabletech.okstate.edu/wahep.