Humboldt Policy on Web Accessibility

The Purpose

The creation and dissemination of knowledge is a defining characteristic of universities and is fundamental to a university’s mission, including Cal Poly Humboldt’s mission. The use of state of the art digital and web-based information delivery is increasingly central in carrying out our missions. Acknowledging this, the California State University (CSU) has an ongoing commitment to provide access to information resources and technologies to individuals with disabilities. This commitment is articulated in the CSU Board of Trustees Policy on Disability Support and Accommodations.

“It is the policy of the CSU to make information technology resources and services accessible to all CSU students, faculty, staff and the general public regardless of disability.”

The purpose of the Cal Poly Humboldt Policy on Web Accessibility is to affirm our commitment to accessibility.

Scope

This policy applies to all official University web pages including, but not limited to, academic programs and services, course materials (whether they are posted within a campus learning management system or not), student services, business services, and auxiliary programs and services. Individual web pages published by students, employees, or non-university organizations that are hosted by the University but do not conduct University related business are encouraged to adopt the University’s policy and standards but fall outside the scope of this policy.

Policy

All official Cal Poly Humboldt Web sites shall conform to the Cal Poly Humboldt Guidelines for a Reasonably Accessible Web Site. The Humboldt Web Accessibility Guidelines (WAG) shall be integrated into all Humboldt web page design and web-based training courses. Each person or work unit responsible for web page design and publication shall ensure that their web pages are in compliance with this policy. The university shall support and enforce this policy in accordance with the specific timelines stated in Chancellor’s Coded Memo AA-2007-04.

Enforcement

Procedures for enforcement are as follows:

1. Implementation and Enforcement.

The University Executive Committee shall identify individuals responsible for implementation and enforcement of this policy in each of the five divisions – Academic Affairs, Administrative Affairs, Student Affairs, University Advancement and Office of the President. The University Executive Committee will provide a list of these divisional representatives to the web manager. In cases of divisional overlap with regard to accountability for a specific web page, questions about which division is responsible should be referred to the University Executive Committee.

2. Accessibility Criteria.

The criteria and guidelines for University Web Page accessibility will be maintained by the Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities in collaboration with the campus web manager.

3. Requests for Exceptions.

All requests for exceptions to this policy must be made to a divisional representative, who will grant or deny the exception based on the criteria listed below. All requests for exceptions must identify an equally effective alternative form of access, as defined in Coded Memo AA-2007-04. If the divisional representative endorses the request, the exception request must be submitted to the web manager who will give the final authorization. Quarterly reports of exceptions granted shall be submitted by the web manager to both the University Executive Committee and to the Advisory Committee on Students with Disabilities. Appeals to the web manager’s decision shall be made to the University Executive Committee.

4. Findings of Accessibility or Policy Violation.

The following standards apply to potential violators:

  1. All notices of policy violations or questions about accessibility will be copied to the divisional representative by the web manager.
  2. An initial notice of policy violation will be submitted to the web-page owner by the web manager, including a due date for correction not sooner than two weeks from the date of notice.
  3. If not corrected by the notice due date, a second notice of policy violation will be submitted to the web-page owner and the web-page owner’s supervisor by the web manager, including a due date for correction not sooner than two weeks from the date of notice.
  4. If not corrected by the second notice date, a third notice of policy violation will be submitted by the web manager to the web-page owner and their supervisor, with notice of the date when the web documents will be removed from service (not sooner than two weeks from the date of notice).
  5. This policy explicitly grants the web manager the authority to remove web pages from service which do not meet accessibility guidelines after following the above procedure.


Exceptions

  1. Web sites and pages that are no longer actively linked to the campus web site but are subject to records retention plans are considered to be in archive status and do not have to be converted to Guidelines for a Reasonably Accessible Web Site unless specifically requested by the University Executive Committee.
  2. Where compliance is not technically possible or may require extraordinary measures due to the nature of the information and the intent of the web page, exceptions to Guidelines for a Reasonably Accessible Web Site may be granted. Request for such exceptions must be based on issues other than cost or time alone, and must provide an equally effective alternate form of access.

Reporting

A status report summarizing the progress towards a fully accessible web space over the past year (as specified in the Chancellor’s coded-memo AA-2006-41) and targets for the upcoming year shall be submitted to the University Executive Committee by the web manager annually.

Review

The Advisory Committee on Students with Disabilities will initiate a review and necessary revisions of this policy and the associated guidelines at least once every three years.