As a public university committed to equity-centered engineering, we have a responsibility to make sure that the materials we produce can be used by everyone, including the roughly 20 percent of the world’s population who have a disability.
It’s important not only because we have a legal obligation, but also because it’s one of the ways we as a college can live our values.
The university follows the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, an internationally observed set of standards for digital accessibility. Like technology itself, the WCAG standards are always evolving. We currently hold our sites to the WCAG 2.1 AA standard.
Civil rights laws
Making sure all users can access the information and services we provide is the right thing to do, as well as our legal responsibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
If you want to discuss the University’s approach to these laws, reach out to the office of Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX (ECRT). If you’re looking for advice on how to interpret legal obligations, contact the Office of the Vice President and General Counsel.
University of Michigan policy
“To enable full and equitable participation for individuals with disabilities, the University of Michigan is committed to creating and maintaining electronic and information technology (EIT) that strives to be comprehensively accessible.”
The university’s accessibility policy for electronic and information technology is outlined in the U-M Standard Practice Guide.(SPG 601.20). It applies to all units, faculty and staff and covers technologies and content including but not limited to:
- Websites
- Web-based applications
- Desktop or mobile applications
- Document authoring applications (e.g., Microsoft Word, Google Docs)
- Documents
- Digital textbooks
Find more tools and guidance at accessibility.umich.edu, the university’s repository for digital accessibility knowledge.