The ADA and Accessibility
The University is committed to ensuring equal access to its educational benefits and opportunities. Therefore, the University provides the information on this page in an effort to meet its goal of eliminating barriers for those with disabilities in regard to accessing the programs, services and activities of the University.
Individuals with disabilities need to be able to physically access UofM programs, services and activities. Therefore, campus buildings, paths of travel, and other physical facilities are to be accessible to the extent that no individual with a disability is denied access to programs, services, or activities offered by UofM as a consequence of inaccessible physical facilities. Those encountering an access barrier on the UofM campus, may report it to the ADA Coordinator in the Office for Institutional Equity.
Information and Materials
Information and materials are any items created, purchased or identified to serve in instruction and/or communicate information both in the curricular and non-curricular setting of the U of M. Examples include:
- Textbooks (in bound, unbound, kit or package form) and eBooks
- Library media (print, non-print and electronic resources)
- Informational software content (web/online content and learning objects)
- CD-ROMs and DVDs
- Videos, slides, films, filmstrips
- Learning laboratories
- Handouts, presentations, and syllabi
All information presented and materials used must be accessible "from the outset" – which means from the point of design or selection. Following are some resources from WebAIM for ensuring compliance with accessibility of information and technologies. You can also contact Disability Resources for Students for assistance.
- UofM Top Ten Accessibility Points
- Creating Accessible Word Documents
- PowerPoint Accessibility
- Adobe, Acrobat and PDF Accessibility
- The University of Washington's Do-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology) program has a variety of resources for faculty for promoting inclusion and success for students with disabilities.
Web and Technical Accessibility
Most people today can hardly imagine a life without the internet. However, web accessibility is one of the most critical issues facing higher education. Web accessibility refers to the practice of creating websites that are usable by people of all abilities or disabilities. Following are some resources for ensuring compliance with web accessibility as well as other technical components of your class or program.
UofM Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
• Contains resources about the Universal Design for Learning framework and how UDL can assist you in making your courses more inclusive and accessible to a diverse population of learners.
• Sponsored by the Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University, this site includes an introductory tutorial, articles for audiences of all levels of expertise, a blog, and an active discussion list.
HTCTU Trainings and Tutorials
• Developed by the High Tech Center Training Unit of the California Community College system, this website has tutorials and covers a broad variety of topics related to IT accessibility.
2016 ROADMAP TO WEB ACCESSIBILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION by 3PlayMedia
• A whitepaper that provides guidance for making online university content accessible to as many stakeholders as possible.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG)
• This is the definitive set of web accessibility guidelines, from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).