Web Accessibility Policy

PURPOSE

In order to comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Northshore Technical Community College (NTCC) website must meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as instituted by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

SCOPE

This policy applies to all new, updated, and existing web pages, as well as all web content produced or updated by Northshore Technical Community College or provided by third-party developers.

POLICY

Northshore Technical Community College is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website for students, parents, and members of the community with disabilities. All pages on the college website will conform to the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative’s (WAI) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level AA conformance, or updated equivalents of these guidelines.

The Director of Information Technology is directed to establish procedures whereby students, parents, and members of the public may present a complaint regarding a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 and Title II related to the accessibility of any official college web presence that is developed by, maintained by, or offered through the college or third-party vendors and open sources.

WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY

With regard to the Northshore Technical Community College website and any official NTCC web presence that is developed by, maintained by, or offered through third-party vendors and open sources, NTCC is committed to compliance with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 and Title II so that students, parents, and members of the public with disabilities are able to independently acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same benefits and services within the same timeframe as those without disabilities, with substantially equivalent ease of use, and that they are not excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination in any NTCC programs, services, and activities delivered online.

All existing web content produced by NTCC and new, updated, and existing web content provided by third-party developers will conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level AA conformance, or updated equivalents, by February 16, 2018. This Regulation applies to all new, updated, and existing web pages, as well as all web content produced or updated by NTCC or provided by thirdparty developers.

WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY CONCERNS, COMPLAINTS, AND GRIEVANCES

A student, parent, or member of the public who wishes to submit a complaint or grievance regarding a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 or Title II related to the accessibility of any official NTCC web presence that is developed by, maintained by, or offered through NTCC, thirdparty vendors, and/or open sources may complain directly to the college faculty or staff. The initial complaint or grievance should be made using Website Accessibility Complaint/Request Form; however, a verbal complaint or grievance may be made. When a college faculty or staff member receives the information, they shall immediately inform the Director of Information Technology.

Whether or not a formal complaint or grievance is made, once NTCC has been notified of inaccessible content, effective communication shall be provided as soon as possible to the reporting party to provide access to the information. The Complainant should not have to wait for the investigation of the complaint to be concluded before receiving the information that he/she was unsuccessful in accessing.

Complaints should be submitted in writing, via email, or by completing the website complaint form. To file a complaint or grievance regarding the inaccessibility of NTCC public website content, the Complainant should submit the website feedback form.

The formal ADA noncompliance complaint should include the following:

• Name
• Address
• Date of the complaint
• Description of the problem encountered
• Web address or location of the problem page
• Solution desired
• Contact information in case more details are needed (email and phone number)

The complaint or grievance shall be investigated by the Director of Information Technology or another person designated by the college. The student, parent, or member of the public shall be contacted no later than five (5) working days following the date the website accessibility compliance coordinator receives the information. The procedures to be followed are:

• An investigation of the complaint shall be completed within fifteen (15) working days. Extension of the timeline may only be approved by the NTCC Chancellor.
• The investigator shall prepare a written report of the findings and conclusions within five (5) working days of the completion of the investigation.
• The investigator shall contact the Complainant upon conclusion of the investigation to discuss the findings and conclusions and actions to be taken as a result of the investigation.
• A record of each complaint and grievance made to the college shall be maintained at the Information Technology department office. The record shall include a copy of the complaint or grievance filed, report of findings from the investigation, and the disposition of the matter.