Accessibility Support

As an instructor, you must ensure that the online content you provide is consistent with the law and the University's commitment to digital accessibility. Our WMUx Accessibility Specialists provide guidance, recommend solutions, and can help you implement and oversee emerging technologies that ensure compliance and champion accessibility.

Our support services include:

Developing goals and strategic planning support for accessibility initiatives
Accessibility consultations and content evaluations for department or individual courses
Evaluating and providing recommendations related to proposed accessible student-facing technologies and their use
Coordinating and facilitating trainings and resources for staff and faculty on the effective use of emerging accessibility technologies
Media captioning and transcription services
Conversion and remediation of digital content into accessible and alternative formats

To Report an Accessibility issue, please complete the Digital Accessibility Concern Form. If you or your department would like additional support related to digital accessibility, contact the WMUx Accessibility Team.

Digital Accessibility Concern Form

Captions and Transactions

Western Michigan University is committed to accessibility in our online and Elearning course content for all students. In compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and WMU's Accessibility Guidelines, all faculty and instructional staff are asked to provide text alternatives to all non-text content being utilized in your course materials.

Request video captions or transcripts

Accessibility Guides and Videos

For all other accessibility-related help guide articles, please visit our Instructional Accessibility Resources page on goWMU.

Product Review

All those who purchase digital products to be used at Western Michigan University are asked to go through the product review process, which comprehensively assesses all products for security and accessibility compliance. Part of the accessibility review process is the examination of the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template or Accessibility Conformance Report. The template/report is then scored for compliance using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA.

There are occasions when products are given a conditional passing, and an Equally Effective Alternative Access Plan (EEAAP) is created. An EEAAP is a valuable resource that an institution can use if it is necessary to buy, develop, or use a technology that is not fully accessible. For example, it may be used if the vendor’s Accessible Conformance Report (ACR), or Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) has been reviewed and at least one of the following statements is true:

the vendor does not have an ACR or VPAT and barriers are unknown.
the VPAT documentation is incomplete.
the vendor indicates guidelines that the product does not support or partially supports in the ACR or VPAT.
product review testing indicates there are barriers in the product.

The Equally Effective Alternative Access Plan describes how to provide alternate access to the same information or services offered by a not fully accessible technology. Having an EEAAP in place for technologies that are not fully accessible will help ensure that all students will have fair and equal access in a timely manner as required by law. These plans should be developed with the assistance of the accessibility compliance specialist and maintained by the unit that is accountable for the technology. An EEAAP is not a substitute for accessibility, so whenever possible, accessible technologies should be purchased by the University.

EEAAPs should answer the following questions:

Who is responsible for implementing the plan?

List the name(s) and title(s) of the campus employee(s) who will be responsible for providing equally effective alternative access.
What learning activities are associated with this product and supported by technology?
Example: Standard course activities for students that use [PRODUCT] include:
using the digital textbook
watching videos
completing assignments
online quizzes
recording speeches
watching/evaluating recorded speeches
What are the known or suspected accessibility issues with the technology?

Check your conditional approval letter for this information.
How will alternative access be provided for those participants?
Example: Alternative activities may be:
Online quizzes will be administered as paper quizzes
Etextbook is available to download or a paper copy
Short videos are also available via YouTube (outside of [PRODUCT])
Speeches could be recorded on a device (phone, tablet), uploaded to private YouTube account, link sent to instructor and/or other students for review; alternatively, student(s) could deliver speeches in small face-to-face groups.
How will the EEAAP be communicated to participants?

Example: There will be a statement in the syllabus about the existence of EEAAP options as well as a statement notifying the students to contact the professor for assistance.
What steps and timeline are necessary for the vendor or developer to correct the issue?

Example: The vendor needs to repair the issues found in the 3rd bullet.

Siteimprove

The Siteimprove software is used to crawl through our WMU website and look for pages that do not conform to the WCAG 2.1 AA criteria. Siteimprove generates a monthly report, which is then distributed so edits and remediation may be performed. Siteimprove users also have access to its extensive training library to gain more knowledge about creating accessible documents, websites, and other digital information. To request access to Siteimprove, please complete the form below. If you have questions contact Gwen Bostic, gwen.bostic@wmich.edu.

Siteimprove Request Form