Office of Civil Rights Interpretation of Website Accessibility Requirements
The Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has issued specific guidance regarding access to digital and electronic resources under Title II and Section 504. Specifically, the 2010 OCR Technology Accessibility guidelines state:
Section 504 and Title II require schools and colleges to ensure that the technology they use is fully accessible to individuals with disabilities or otherwise to provide equal access to the educational benefits and opportunities afforded by the technology.
This has been interpreted to include not only digital curriculum resources but also information on the school and district website, which is considered to be an essential part of the services provided by the school. Students, parents and staff with disabilities must have access to content on the website including:
Enrollment information and forms
Schedules and calendars
Emergency alerts
News feeds
General school and district information
Curriculum and classroom resources
School and district policies
Over the last few years, disability rights advocates have put increased emphasis on school website accessibility, resulting in a large number of OCR complaints. Schools and districts should take steps to improve website accessibility to reduce their chances of an OCR complaint or lawsuit.
Contact us to get started with your accessible school website today. We can have you up and running with a new, accessible website in just a few weeks!