TECHNews

Please be reminded that all UM Web content (websites and Web pages) must be in at least minimal compliance with the guidelines addressed in the  UM Accessibility of Technology Services Policy by September 1, 2013.  The goal of making technology accessible is to eliminate barriers to electronic material for all potential users, including those who may need assistive technologies for websites or other online interaction. The university is committed to ensuring that its Web presence is accessible to all audiences. Although full compliance requires a person to review a site for all potential obstacles to accessibility, minimal compliance of a website can be assumed when it passes all error checks in the Wave: Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool.

UM Webmaster Robby Seitz considers Web accessibility to be an integral part of the more inclusive Policy for Official Web Pages. “The new homepage and departmental templates will help unify and improve our overall website. All the testing, evaluating, and adjusting along the way has yielded a stronger design with built-in accessibility features. As we continue migrating existing sites to the new templates, we’ll be improving the accessibility of our entire website.”

For more information on making Web content accessible, review Section 508 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. For additional resources, refer to the  UM Accessibility of Technology Services Policy. To learn more about Web accessibility and recommendations for accessibility in the classroom for instructors, refer to previous  TECHNews articles: “Making the Web Work for Everyone” and “Accessibility and the Classroom.”

For questions and more information regarding accommodating student disabilities, contact the Office of Student Disability Services at (662) 915-7128 (office phone), (662) 915-7907 (TTY), or sds@olemiss.edu. For questions and assistance related to making your Web content more accessible, email web@olemiss.edu.

Tags: Accessibility, Classroom, Web Accessibility, Web Site, website