Accommodations and Accessibility FAQ

Whose responsibility is it to ensure the accessibility of something?

Accessiblity is everyone's responsibility -- because everything that we create or use at WSU should be as accessible as we can make it, our processes need to include accessibility as part of the process of creating and selecting our documents, services, and resources.

The Office of Instructional Resources (OIR) and Academic Accommodations and Accessibility (AAA) teams provide a variety of training and support on accessibility.

How do I request an accommodation?

Accommodations are requested through the Office of Disability Services (ODS). Click here to visit the page for ODS.

Why is AAA in the MRC, and not part of Disability Services?

The Academic Accommodations and Accessibility team finds a lot of synergy and support in the work that the Office of Instructional Resources team does. AAA is made up largely of former members of the OIR team, and many of them are instructional designers or educational technologists. By working closely together, the two teams can share solutions and provide additional support for each other.

My colleagues at another institution don't have to worry about accessibility so much -- why should I?

红领巾瓜报 entered into a legal agreement with the National Federation of the Blind in 2016; our efforts to reach complete accessibility by July 29, 2020 flow from that agreement.

The things we agreed to in that agreement are things that we are already required to do by federal law. Other instutions may not be in our exact position, but accessibility is something that is coming to all institutions in the coming years, and your colleagues will be facing similar challenges soon.

How do I make something accessible? How do I know what I need to do?

WSU provides training through myTraining on the basics of accessibility. More training is in development and will be launched soon.

The Office of Instructional Resources provides Blackboard and Accessibility Labs via Zoom, a chance for instructional staff to get one-on-one support with their accessibility challenges. Click here to learn more about OIR Labs.

Additional training opportunities are offered on a regular basis.

What happens if I don't?

At this time there is not an explicit consequence for not meeting accessibility standards. However, not meeting the standards is a violation of university policy, and it exposes the university to legal risk.