North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) provides equal opportunity to its educational services, programs and activities in accordance with federal and state laws.  This policy extends to providing effective access to official NIACC information and communication technology (ICT) resources and applies to their procurement, development, implementation and ongoing maintenance.

Ensuring equal and effective electronic and information technology access is the responsibility of all NIACC administrators, faculty, and staff.

The purpose of these procedures is to provide processes by which NIACC administrators, faculty, and staff will create, obtain and maintain all information and communication technology in a manner that ensures that ICT is accessible to individuals with disabilities.

These procedures apply to the following areas:

• Web accessibility
• Instructional materials accessibility
• Document accessibility
• Electronic media accessibility
• Software, hardware and systems accessibility
• Procurement

Web Accessibility

Accessibility applies to all NIACC webpages and programs use to conduct NIACC business and activities including Web resources used in courses.

Instructional Materials Accessibility

These procedures apply to all electronic instructional materials (syllabi, textbooks, presentations, handouts, etc.).  This includes electronic instructional materials delivered within the NIACC’s learning management system, in face-to-face classes, or in an alternate fashion (email, blogs, etc.) and electronic instructional activities (online collaborative writing, web conferencing, etc.).

All electronic instructional materials, optional and required, will be accessible and as effective and useable for persons with disabilities as they are for persons without disabilities. Instructional materials and activities will be made available to all students at the same time, as allowed by student notice of need.

Document Accessibility

These procedures apply to all NIACC-produced and maintained or distributed electronic documents.  Electronic documents include, but are not limited to, word processing documents, PDFs, presentations, publications and spreadsheets which are scanned, uploaded, posted, or otherwise published or distributed electronically.  Legacy documents must be made accessible when used.

Electronic documents must be accessible.  Electronic interaction with NIACC policies, procedures, notifications and other documents must be as effective and useable for persons with disabilities as it is for persons without disabilities.

Electronic Media Accessibility

All departments will purchase and produce only accessible multimedia and update existing inaccessible media as it is put into use.  Please see NIACC’s captioning policy/procedure for specific information in regard to captioning of electronic media.

All media resources used in NIACC programs and activities must be accessible. For example, this includes, but is not limited to, media that is instructional, informational, marketing, and promotional.

Video media resources will be closed captioned and audio-described and audio resources will be transcribed.

Software, Hardware and Systems Accessibility

All software, hardware and systems purchased must be accessible and must produce accessible products.  Accessible, in this context, means compatible with assistive technology.   Examples of software, hardware and systems include, but are not limited to, learning and content management systems, library and email systems, and administrative management systems such as finance, registration and human resources, and all software, hardware and software services used for student services.  Software includes freeware, shareware, desktop, enterprise, subscription and remotely-hosted options.  Software that is accessed through a web-browser must also be accessible and is discussed under Section 1 of these procedures.

Equipment must provide individuals with disabilities that require assistive technology with access, including interactive use of the equipment and services that is equivalent to that provided to individuals without disabilities. In addition, information technology equipment and software will provide equal and effective access to all individuals in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations, including, but not limited to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Section 508 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act.”

Procurement

This process applies to all NIACC purchases of Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) software, hardware and services.

Employees are required to complete software purchase and/or software integration forms, prior to purchase, installation, or use.  Forms are accessed through TrojanHome from the Forms-Employees page.

For software purchases, employees are required to complete the Software Purchase Request form.  Accessibility and Security documentation from the vendor should be uploaded as part of the form submission or vendor contact information provided.  Review of the Accessibility and Security documentation will be completed within 30 days of receiving the materials.  The acceptance or denial of the software, based on compliance with accessibility and security requirements will be noted in the software request ticket.

For Canvas and Zoom integrations, employees are required to complete the Canvas/Zoom Integration Request form.

For Hardware purchases, employees are to contact the Technology Help Desk so the technology can be reviewed for accessibility.

Guidelines to follow:

Standards and guidelines outlined in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 published by the W3C.

Guidance on Applying WCAG 2.2 to Non-Web Information and Communications Technologies, published by the W3C as the Working Draft 13 December 2012.

US Access Board’s Guide 508 Standards – Software Applications and Operating Systems

Contact:

Students
Vice President for Student Development – Dr. Rachel McGuire 641-422-4104
Rachel.McGuire@niacc.edu

Director of Disability Services/ADA Coordinator – Dr. Lisa Vance 641-422-4296
Lisa.Vance@niacc.edu

Faculty & Staff
Vice President for Academic Affairs – Dr. Laurel Klinkenberg 641-422-4002
Laurel.Klinkenberg@niacc.edu