Electronic Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility Compliance

EIT Accessibility Coordination

Indiana University is committed to maintaining an inclusive and accessible environment across all of its campuses. Ensuring that all university community members have access to facilities, information, and information technology associated with administration and services, coursework and instruction, programs, and university-sponsored activities is critical to our educational mission and is among our highest priorities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Indiana Civil Rights Act, and Indiana University policy prohibit discrimination in employment and educational programs against qualified individuals with disabilities.

University websites must be accessible so that students, prospective students, employees, guests and visitors with disabilities have equivalent access to the information and functionality provided to individuals without disabilities. All university websites published after November 1, 2016, are required to meet the accessibility standards set forth by Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 AA. University websites published prior to that date are also expected to meet accessibility standards and have been prioritized for review and update for compliance. Priority websites will be determined by the electronic and information technology (EIT) coordinator and the university chief compliance officer, Mike Jenson, in consultation with the Office of the Vice President for IT and CIO/UITS and the Office of the Vice President and General Counsel.

If you need assistance or have questions about the accessibility of University websites or other electronic information technology, please contact the University Compliance and Policy Office.

University websites should meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 AA standards.

Resources for Creating Accessible Content

Electronic Documents

Multimedia

Instructional Materials

Web Content

Tips for Supporting Accessibility in the Classroom

Learn about ways to support accessibility in the classroom.*

Creating course documents

  • Use headings, styles, and lists to convey your document's intended outline and structure
  • Use fonts that are easy to read: high-contrast, sufficient font-size, clear and simple design
  • For images and other non-text content, add ALT text that conveys the meaning  of the image
  • For data tables, always differentiate between header cells and data cells
  • If you use links or references, ensure that the link text clearly describes the purpose of the link
  • Export PDFs using Adobe Acrobat plug-ins from Microsoft Office; avoid "Print to PDF"

Procuring and purchasing course materials

  • Ask publishers about accessibility of their materials and services
  • Select sources or editions which are natively accessible, if possible
  • Use library services to acquire accessible formatted documents
  • Provide accessible digital copies of printed supplemental materials, such as handouts

Video and multimedia

  • Provide captions for online or classroom video resources
  • Provide transcripts for online or classroom audio-only resources
  • Present media in accessible media players when possible

Course planning

  • Understand how accessible information practices can benefit all students
  • Think about  how to address specific needs for accommodation (print disabilities, auditory disabilities, motor disabilities, cognitive impairments)
  • Consider how instructional goals can be met in a variety of modes (e.g., print/web/audio)

During your course

  • Communicate with students to determine whether any accommodations are necessary; consider adding a statement your syllabus
  • If students need accommodation, work with the office serving students with disabilities on your campus to produce best outcomes for students
  • Be prepared to take rapid action to support students who need accommodations

*Content courtesy of the University of Iowa.