Website Accessibility

Policy Statement

SOWELA Technical Community College (STCC) is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website for students, parents, and members of the community with disabilities. All pages on the STCC website will conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA conformance, or updated equivalents of these guidelines.

SOWELA 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 STCC web presence which is developed by, maintained by, or offered through STCC or third party vendors and open sources.

Scope and Applicability

This policy applies to all STCC web content developed, maintained, or offered through STCC or third-party vendors.

Definitions

• WCAG - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
• ADA - American with Disabilities Act
• STCC - SOWELA Technical Community College

Policy Details

With regard to the STCC website and any official STCC web presence which is developed by, maintained by, or offered through third party vendors and open sources, STCC is committed to compliance with the 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.

In accordance with the law, STCC will provide individuals with disabilities with equal access to the information and functionality provided by its web presence, unless doing so would impose an undue burden or create a fundamental alteration. In such cases, STCC will provide an equally effective alternative manner of access.

Complaint/Grievance Procedure

Any person who believes that the STCC website or any official STCC web presence is inaccessible or violates the ADA, Section 504 and/or Title II may submit a complaint or grievance to the Chancellor or another person designated by the Chancellor. 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 into the complaint shall be completed within fifteen (15) working days. Extension of the timeline may only be approved by the Chancellor or designee.
• 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 pursuant to STCC shall be maintained at the STCC Chancellor's 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.

Forms, References, and Related Materials

• Website Accessibility Issue Form: https://stcc.formstack.com/forms/web_accessibility_issue
• Applicable laws; ADA, Section 504, Title II, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA compliance requirements
• Source of Policy: Information Technology Department
• Responsible Administrator: Director of Information Technology