U.S. Department of Education and YSU reach settlement

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State University has settled a compliance investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights regarding access to its websites for people with disabilities.

The investigation began in May 2013.

“I applaud Youngstown State University for agreeing to make its websites — through which it increasingly provides information to employees, applicants, students and others — fully accessible to all, including to individuals with disabilities,” Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights, said in a news release. “Web inaccessibility could significantly deter applications and participation from students with disabilities; this resolution ensures that Youngstown State can fully serve its entire student population, consistent with the law.”

The university, through a spokeswoman, declined to comment.

It’s unclear whether the investigation stemmed from a complaint or from a compliance review. An education department spokesman said that the office opens many investigations each year based on complaints it receives and it initiates a smaller number of investigations proactively, known as compliance reviews. “Compliance reviews are not random audits of schools,” the spokesman said. “They are selected based on various sources of information, including statistical data, prior complaints, news reports and information from students, parents, advocacy groups and community organizations.”

They are initiated to remedy possible students’ rights violations.

The Office of Civil Rights’ investigators examined the accessibility to university websites to people with disabilities, particularly those with “sensory impairments who may require the use of assistive technology to access the sites,” a news release from the education department said.

It determined YSU wasn’t in compliance with portions of both the Rehabilitation Law and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

YSU’s websites weren’t readily accessible to people with disabilities, a violation of the Rehabilitation Law; and in violation of Americans with Disabilities Act, YSU wasn’t fully in compliance with requirements regarding the publication of a notice of nondiscrimination in relevant documents.

“In response to these determinations, the university entered into a resolution agreement to ensure that content on its websites is accessible to individuals with disabilities and that it is providing an equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities to participate in and benefit from its online learning environment,” the news release said.

Some terms of the agreement require YSU to:

Ensure that access to computer labs, especially regarding provision of assistive technology, is comparable to that of students without disabilities, and that accurate notice is given to students, faculty, staff and other beneficiaries able to utilize university computer labs that these services are available.

Develop and publish a consistent notice of nondiscrimination including contact information for the people designated to ensure compliance.

Provide training to staff responsible for webpage and content development.

Review its website and e-learning platforms to fix accessibility problems and establish mechanisms to ensure accessibility continues.