Using Accessibility
Need to find and use accessible resources? This section provides information on:
- Accessible Appalcart transportation, maps, and parking
- Assistive technology available for checkout and on-campus use
- Accessible technology
- Navigating Campus and Campus Events
Creating Accessibility
Need to provide or create accessible resources for others to use? This section provides information on:
- Creating accessible content
- Locating campus resources for creating accessibility
- Best practices for accessibility, including Universal Design for Learning
- Finding professional development opportunities for accessibility
- Getting help with creating accessibility
Support and Contacts
Contact us with questions or to share your accessibility ideas or get help with a variety of accessibility needs:
- Request an accessibility review
- Get help with captioning
- Report an accessibility issue
- Find campus support
- Learn about campus policies
- Requesting accommodations
Purpose
Appalachian State University is dedicated to providing the best experience possible to all individuals by providing an inclusive and accessible campus environment. This site is intended to provide accessibility information, guidance and tools for the campus community.
Accessible means a person with a disability is afforded the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability in an equally effective and equally integrated manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use.
The person with a disability must be able to obtain the information as fully, equally and independently as a person without a disability. Although this might not result in identical ease of use compared to that of persons without disabilities, it still must ensure equal opportunity to the educational benefits and opportunities afforded by the technology and equal treatment in the use of such technology.
~ From a recent U.S. Department of Education (DoE) Resolution Agreement
Why accessibility matters
Accessibility removes barriers and provides the ability for everyone, regardless of disability, to access, use and benefit from programs, services and activities.
Consistent with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), it is the policy of Appalachian State University that no qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall be excluded from, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity.
Who accessibility benefts
Accessibility efforts benefit all users!
- Power assisted doors are necessary for individuals with mobility impairments. They also benefit a person carrying a bulky item or an individual pushing a stroller.
- Captioning not only helps those who are hard of hearing/deaf to access audio information, but can reinforce verbal material and increase comprehension for ESL learners, non-traditional students, and visual learners.
- Websites with clear, consistent and organized design will benefit individuals using screen readers. They also allow easier navigation and are more visually appealing to everyone.
Latest news
Meaningful Alt Text for Accessible Images
Smashing Magazine recently posted an article that details how to make sure the alt text for an image does a sufficient job of ensuring it is accessibl...
COVID-19 Response: Digital Accessibility and Other Best Practices for Remote Work
Disability:IN and their Accessibility Leadership Committee provides these resources as actions items for inclusion of individuals with disabilities wi...
Accessibility Checklists
The EDUCAUSE IT Accessibility Community Group recently shared a few online accessibility resources and one, in particular, seems to be extremely usefu...