1.  Introduction and Policy Statement

NC State University is committed to providing equal opportunity and access to its educational services, programs and activities in accordance with federal and state laws. This includes compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended, including the 2024 final rule issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, which clarifies digital accessibility requirements for public entities. As part of this commitment, the university is dedicated to creating an information and communication technology (ICT) environment that is accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities. Creating an accessible information and communication technology environment is the shared responsibility of all university administrators, faculty, and staff. This regulation applies to the procurement, development, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of the university’s ICT Resources.

2.  Definitions

When used in this regulation, the following definitions shall apply:

2.1  “Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Resources” means any digital or electronic resource used for instruction, information distribution, or communication.  ICT Resources include, but are not limited to, learning management systems, online instructional lessons, research activities, websites and mobile applications including social media posts, software applications, electronic documents, computers, hardware systems, telecommunication products, video and multimedia products, mobile devices, and online events.

2.2 “Accessibility” means all individuals, regardless of disability, are afforded equal access to ICT Resources in a manner that is equally effective and timely in accordance with the standards set forth under Title II of the ADA.

2.3 “Accessibility Guidelines” means the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), developed by the World Wide Web Consortium to meet ADA Title II obligations for web and mobile application accessibility.

3.  Responsibilities

3.1  All NC State employees responsible for designing, developing or maintaining ICT Resources must ensure the resources comply with Accessibility Guidelines.

3.2  NC State employees procuring ICT Resources must ensure resources comply with Accessibility Guidelines. Vendors may be required to provide a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) or similar documentation.

3.3 NC State employees selecting ICT Resources, including textbooks or other instructional tools that students will use, must ensure these resources comply with the Accessibility Guidelines.

3.4 If NC State employees are unable to locate or use an ICT Resource (whether created or acquired) that meets the Accessibility Guidelines, they must develop a temporary Equally Effective Alternative Access Plan (EEAAP). This plan should  identify accessibility issues, responsible parties, and reasonable procedures for communicating and providing equally effective alternative access until digital accessibility can be met. The University Digital Accessibility Coordinator must approve an EEAAP before ICT Resource procurement can commence. All EEAAPs will be reviewed annually to verify they are still required.

4.  Reporting and Corrective Measures

4.1 Any person experiencing accessibility issues with an ICT Resource should report the issues via the “report an issue” option found on University’s Accessibility Hub.

4.2  The Office of Information Technology (OIT) is  responsible for notifying responsible parties of issues with the accessibility of their ICT Resources.  OIT will include the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) in the notification to responsible parties. OIT and OEO will overseethe resolution of these issues. When accessibility issues are identified or reported, OIT will notify the relevant NC State employee or unit who must then correct the identified accessibility issues in a timely manner.

4.3  If the employee or unit fails to correct the accessibility issues in a timely manner, the Vice Chancellor or Dean responsible for the unit will be contacted by OIT and required to address the issue.