Top 10 Things CIOs Need to Know About Accessibility

Accessibility is like Security: Just like security, no one wants to allocate resources to support accessibility, but it needs to be done from a usability, legal and moral perspective.

Design and Planning: Designing in accessibility is much more cost effective than trying to “fix” deployed resources, so accessibility must be a part of the planning process for new and updating existing IT resources and services.

Procurement: Accessibility must be a included in purchasing requirements and RFPs. Accessibility testing must be integrated into the evaluation of products for purchase. Products will only become more accessible when vendors are held accountable to accessibility standards.

Managing Accessibility: IT staff and units must have specific goals and responsibilities to support the improvement in the accessibility of IT resources they create and manage. If accessibility is to be more than just a wish it must be managed.

Evaluating Accessibility: A common set of protocols and procedures should be used to evaluate the accessibility of IT resources developed and purchased.

Accessibility Standards: Campus standards must be defined and publicized to all campus units and administrators (i.e. Section 508 and/or WCAG 2.0).

Best Practices: Develop and use best practices to support the accessible design of IT resources developed or purchased for use on campus.

Training: IT staff must be trained in accessibility policies, procedures and use of best practices.

Use Accessible Technologies: Select technologies that support accessibility for campus projects and evaluate new technologies for accessibility features before using them.

Participation: Include students, faculty and staff with disabilities in setting priorities for making IT resources more accessible on your campus.