Digital Accessibility Remediation Procedures

Remediation Proceedures

Under the Policy, the Digital Accessibility Steering Committee may require a Site Owner to establish a plan to improve some or all non-conforming portions of an existing University Website. This may include websites and their content. In prioritizing websites for remediation, the DASC will consider several factors, including:

• How essential the website or its content is to university functions (i.e., is it functional or
  informational?);
• Whether the Site Owner is already planning a redesign.
• Target audience (i.e., is the website directed to internal or external users?); and
• Size of audience.

The DASC will refer identified sites to DAC for further evaluation. The DAC will in turn contact each applicable Site Owner and DCO to provide information about theirsite and identify resources available to support remediation. DAC may assist Site Owners in prioritizing what to improve and how to approach the work, such as through incremental updates made by existing staff, through contracted work, and/or through platform migration. Site Owners must provide an evaluation report to the DASC enumerating efforts and periodically demonstrating progress.

Evaluating a University Website for Accessibility

Automated testing tools speed up the process of evaluation and allow for regular monitoring. However, human evaluation is also essential to assessing a website’s accessibility because no single
tool can determine to what extent a site conforms to the Standards. The University has purchased SiteImprove to help with accessibility monitoring and reporting for university-owned domains.

Manual testing

Assistive technology, keyboard-only testing, and content review should be used as part of manual testing. See the Manual Testing Standard Operating Procedures for guidance.

Expert Review

An experienced professional can perform a deeper evaluation, which typically results in a detailed listing of issues and specific recommendations for improvements. DAS can assist with identifying reputable third-party service providers to conduct an expert review as needed.

Evaluating and Remediating University Multimedia Accessibility

All videos posted to University Websites and platforms must include synchronized, accurate, closed
captions and should aim to include descriptive audio where applicable. Audio files, such as podcasts, posted to University Websites and platforms should be accompanied by accurate transcripts.

Captions

Captions convert audio dialogue and sounds into text that appears on a video, synchronized with audio. High-quality captions include highly accurate transcription, proper punctuation, speaker identification, and the identification of meaningfulsounds other than speech.

Captioning must have an accuracy rate equal to or greater than that offered by a third-party vendor captioning service such as 3Play Media or Rev, and in a manner consistent with industry standards regarding synchronicity, completeness, and placement.

Transcripts

High-quality transcripts include accurate transcription, proper punctuation, speaker identification, and the identification of meaningful sounds other than speech.

Audio segments and podcasts posted on University Websites and covered by the Policy must be accompanied by a full transcript. These transcripts either must be available on the same page as the audio player or linked directly from the description text.

Descriptive Audio

If a video includes content only presented visually, such as on-screen text, graphics, or actions not obvious from the audio, this visual information will need to be described as accessible to people unable to see it. By planning ahead, a video producer can script and create content that includes descriptions of meaningful visual elements and actions in many cases.

If it is not possible to describe visual information within the script or audio, then there may be situations where it is appropriate to provide more extensive audio description as a further enhancement to accessibility. Additionally, providing meaningful content from a video (i.e., code snippets, math equations, graphs, tables, image details) presented in accessible formats alongside multimedia to be explored at their own pace should likewise enhance accessibility and overall experience.

Live video captions

DSU events that are live-streamed through third-party platforms are not generally subject to the Policy. However, events streamed on a third-party platform but embedded within a University Website would be subject to the Policy.

The University live-streams a wide range of content ranging from massive events such as Commencement to small activities within labs or departments. For live-streaming that is covered by the Policy:

• University-wide events (such as Commencement, ceremonies forspecial honorands, and presidential installations) for which video and/or audio are live-streamed over the Internet must be live-captioned to industry standards.
• For School-wide events or other larger events that are advertised and expected to generate substantial audiences, and for which video and/or audio are live-streamed over the Internet, the University strongly urges that industry-standard live captioning be provided as a matter of course.
• Fors maller events for which video and/or audio are live-streamed over the Internet, the University recommends in all cases that the hosting department offer in advance the opportunity for individuals with disabilities to request an accommodation. See the University’s captioning resource page for further instructions on how to obtain live captioning or Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) services for a particular event.

In all cases where video of a live event is later posted to a DSU website, such videos must be captioned as required by the Policy.

Course Video Content

Multimedia used as part of University courses should be made as accessible as possible. Efforts should be made to follow best practices to ensure that some level of captioning is available both live and in recordings, and that the audio source is of a high quality.

Course content that must have professional media alternatives

Multimedia content must have professional-level captions or transcripts (at least equal to the accuracy of a quality, third-party provider) if a student or instructor makes an accommodation request, which should be communicated through a Local Student Disability Coordinator (LDC).

Course content that should be prioritized for professional media alternatives

Multimedia content should be prioritized for professional-level captions or transcripts (at least equal to the accuracy of a quality third-party provider) when:

• The same audio or video files are used repeatedly in courses over time,
• Video / lectures are the primary source of learning (i.e., in a “flipped classroom” setting), or
• Courses with over 100 students (beginning no later than the start of the 2024-25 academic year)

Over time, the Policy expectation for course video content may expand to require more use cases to have professional-level captions and transcripts. Efforts should be made now to improve multimedia accessibility generally and to prioritize content that will have the greatest impact. 

Note: Notwithstanding the Policy or these Procedures, in cases where a student is unable to access multimedia (or other) course content because of disabilities, a School will be required to provide Standards-conforming content or provide information that is accessible by alternate means. Schools and instructors can anticipate and avoid last-minute adjustments to provide course content if they undertake in advance to provide Standards-conforming content, regardless of whether an enrolled student has identified a disability.

Best practices for all courses

For live classroom lectures and presentations, auto-generated captionsshould be enabled where available. When preserving recordings of lectures and presentations, captions should remain with the file recording.

Speakers should apply the following best practices to maintain a high quality of audio for improved accessibility in their recordings:

• Use a well-placed microphone when available.
• Introduce yourself before speaking (especially when multiple speakers are present).
• Describe meaningful graphics and visual content.
• Announce slide titles and/orslide numbers.
• Repeat audience questions prior to answering.

Third-party multimedia content

DSU instructorsmay share multimedia from other authors or from sources that originate outside of DSU. This may include streaming video and course reserves. Instructors should make a goodfaith effort to ensure that all multimedia shared in DSU classes, regardless of their origins, includes captions, transcripts, and/or descriptive audio. In cases where the content as found elsewhere does not include these accessibility assets, DAS or LDCs may be available to consult with instructors about ways to provide them.

Documents and Internal Communication Tools

Documents that are created and shared at DSU, whether posted on a public-facing website or communicated internally, should meet accessibility guidelines.

Document creators and editors can use built-in tools such as Microsoft’s Accessibility Checker, the Grackle Accessibility Checker in Google Workspace, and the Adobe Accessibility Checker that flag issues and suggest solutions.

Documents that need professional accessibility remediation can alternatively be sent to third-party document remediation vendors, especially those with which DSU has preferred contractual agreements.

When communicating internally at DSU, use University-provided tools and platforms such as Microsoft 365, Slack, and Teams, etc. When sharing information, follow accessible communication best practices such as describing images, writing clear link text, and using emoji mindfully.

Social Media

Social media accounts at DSU should strive to ensure the content they share is accessible to all audiences, within the limitations of the platforms themselves. When sharing content, be sure to add image descriptions, captions, and color contrast when posting.