ELI Webinar | Online Learning with Students, Staff, and Faculty with Disabilities: Knowing the Legal Landscape of Web Accessibility

Failing to create an architecture that can be accessed by those with disabilities can create a climate of discrimination. It is vital that those in higher education understand the legal landscape with respect to online accessibility. This session will describe current law and court cases and assist institutions that want to do the right thing and document it at the same time.

Cyndi Rowland is the associate director at the Center for Persons with Disabilities (CPD) housed at Utah State University. The CPD is part of the national network of University Centers of Excellence in Disability Research, Service, and Education. The focus of Cyndi’s work and expertise is accessible information communication technology (ICT). She directs WebAIM and the National Center on Disability and Access to Education (NCDAE), which are both viewed as important resources in digital accessibility. Rowland has engaged in research, tool development, and education, as well as policy and standards work throughout her projects at national and international levels. As part of her work she is currently directing a FIPSE-funded project with a focus on assisting postsecondary institutions as they make a decision to commit to enterprise-wide web accessibility, Gaining Online Accessible Learning through Self-Study (GOALS).

Learning Objectives

• Understand U.S. laws that pertain to the accessibility of web content in higher education today
• Identify other legal issues (e.g., state or international law) that may pertain to your institution
• Understand the current legal climate and recent court cases regarding web accessibility in postsecondary education
• Determine what you can do to put your institution on the best path and how you can document your good faith efforts during a transition to accessibility