Photo: CSU Photography
Updates to Colorado State University’s information technology policy will help remove virtual access barriers for students who use assistive technology – and benefit the entire campus community in the process.
“This isn’t just an IT policy,” said Joe Tiner, the assistant director of access and accommodations at the Student Disability Center. “It’s about people, and it’s about making our campus more inclusive in a digital way.”
Previously, only public-facing content on CSU’s websites were required to comply with electronic accessibility standards. Under the new policy, the requirements also apply to materials in password-protected areas, which could range from course materials such as PDFs and PowerPoints to the HR systems that CSU employees use to access payroll information or request time off.
The policy will help those who use assistive technology more easily access the information – and by making all course materials compatible with screen readers, text-to-speech and other technology tools, allow every student the ability to do things like listen to their readings. It’s already a popular idea: More than 14,000 people have used CSU’s pilot program of ReadSpeaker, an online text-to-speech tool.
“The work that went into this policy represents a cross-campus effort to evolve and modernize our approaches to accessibility of electronic information and technologies,” said Brandon Bernier, CSU’s vice president for Information Technology. “A team of experts worked hard to look at national best practices and localize them to advance our CSU community.
“Building on our commitment to providing equal opportunities for all, this policy helps to ensure that our CSU community has equitable access to the information and technologies that they need. It is about progress and ensuring we’re doing the right things for today and the future.”
Quick and easy ways to make your virtual content more accessible:
Riana Slyter, a second year Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication Studies, will be impacted by the policy as both a student and a teacher. As someone who has a disability, she said she’s grateful that the policy means she has less of a burden in seeking out accommodations.
“Having virtual accessibility set as a default alleviates stress for students who might feel like a burden in asking for what they need to learn,” she said.
The Assistive Technology Resource Center is available to help faculty members incorporate accessibility from the beginning while they develop course materials. Often, this is as simple as ensuring that text on a PDF is readable rather than an image of text.
Allison Swanson, the IT coordinator for the ATRC and member of the Inclusive Physical and Virtual Campus Committee, played an integral role in updating the policy and said it’s more important than ever in a world that’s becoming increasingly digital.
“Accessibility can sound intimidating, but it’s not as hard as people might think. There are a few small changes that they can begin making right away, and these changes benefit everyone,” she said.
Karen Estlund, the dean of CSU Libraries and one of the leaders in the development of the updated policy, said virtual accessibility is at the core of CSU’s mission of service to Colorado and beyond.
“One of the things that I think is really vital about this is when we talk about being a land-grant institution that values access, we need to ensure the information we’re providing through our online and digital tools is accessible, and we’re fulfilling that promise,” she said.
For more information about the tools for virtual accessibility, visit Accessibility by Design: Tutorials & Best Practices.
