Rule 3339-19-08 | Accessible technology policy.
(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.
Supplemental Information