The University of Oregon is committed to maintaining an accessible digital presence, in accordance with our philosophical principles to promote equity and diversity in higher education, and in accordance with federal laws and regulations.
University Policy
The University of Oregon adopted its official Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Accessibility Policy on July 9, 2019. The policy states that people with disabilities at UO must be "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" and that they "must be able to obtain the information as fully, equally and independently as a person without a disability." The policy also establishes the ICT Accessibility Committee and provides for an exemption process.
The ICT Procedures expand upon the university policy and provide details and definitions for several critical areas.
Technical Standards
The University of Oregon adheres to nationally recognized best practices and standards on accessible technology. At a minimum, university technologies should adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA (for websites and documents) and Revised Section 508 standards (for software and hardware).
WCAG 2.2 became an official W3C Recommendation on October 5, 2023, and adds several new rules. While you are encouraged to use WCAG 2.2 AA, WCAG 2.1 AA remains the university standard for the present time.
Legal Obligations
Section 504 and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title I and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibit discrimination against students, employees, and members of the public participating in university programs who have disabilities. The U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Education, and courts around the U.S. have determined that accessible digital content must be provided by higher education institutions to comply with those federal laws.