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Web Accessibility at Indiana University
Best Practices / Administrative Practice Statement:
It is essential to the mission of Indiana University that everyone including those with disabilities be able to use web content. Therefore, Indiana University has adopted a Web Accessibility Best Practices / Administrative Practice supported by guidelines to create accessible web content published by academic, administrative, or auxiliary units of Indiana University. All elements of university web content that convey meaningful information should be accessible to and usable by those with disabilities. Accessible web content is the responsibility of all web content owners and developers at Indiana University.
All new and redesigned university web sites published by university colleges, programs, schools, departments or units are expected to follow these best practices / administrative practice. Archived web content that is inaccessible does not have to be converted to meet accessibility standards unless requested by an individual with a disability.
Click the link below to download the complete best practices / administrative pratice document
IU Web Accessibility Best Practices / Administrative Practice (DOC, 46KB)
Web Accessibility Consulting at the ATAC
The ATAC offers free training and support for the development of a wide variety of accessible web content ranging from single pages to enterprise systems spanning multiple institutions. Additionally we provide developers a deeper insight into the challenges of information access faced by people with disabilities.
For a web accessibility evaluation, please complete this consultation form.
We are passionate about making Web sites barrier-free so that all Indiana University information is available to all students, faculty and staff.
Our Web accessibility consulting includes the following services:
Accessibility Planning
Web accessibility is best implemented with careful planning and consideration at the beginning or early stages of a project. Meeting with the Web accessibility specialists at the ATAC is the ideal way to begin integrating accessibility into Web design and development processes. We can help developers:
- Decide which accessibility guidelines and requirements should be implemented
- Determine specific accessibility challenges in the content and Web site design
- Develop accessibility policies and strategies for content authors
- Create accessibility training plans for Web teams
- Identify accessibility resources that may be useful during development
For a web accessibility evaluation, please complete this consultation form.
Accessibility Testing
Our Web accessibility testing procedure includes a user-centered evaluation by Mary Stores, a Web accessibility specialist who is blind. Since Mary uses assistive technologies such as a screen reader and refreshable Braille display, we are able to offer developers a complete functional review.
Joe Humbert and Mary Stores are the accessibility specialists who evaluate HTML code for the use of Web standards and best practices for accessibility. They are available to test Web sites for compliance with any of the following guidelines and requirements:
- IU Web Policies
- accessibility guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium
- state and federal accessibility requirements, such as Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
The results of Web Accessibility testing at the ATAC are included in a recommendation report that is useful and easy to understand. We continue to work directly with developers to conduct follow-up testing and find accessible solutions to any problems that may be encountered.
For a web accessibility evaluation, please complete this consultation form.
Resources and Training
In order to help Web developers understand the forces driving the need for Web accessibility, learn techniques that can improve their projects, and stay up to date with the latest technologies, the staff at the ATAC is developing a Web page titled Universal Design and Web Accessibility Resources . This page includes:- background information on Web Design issues
- Web standards and best practices
- legal requirements
- evaluation tools
- reference books
- links to online resources
If you would like to suggest a resource, please contact us.
The ATAC is also devoloping a comprehensive, hands-on training course that teaches specific Web accessibility techniques and the principles of universal design. Developers interested in maximizing Web accessibility for the widest range of users, Web browsers, and other Web-enabled devices should contact us about this learning opportunity.
