Website Accessibility
Why does website accessibility matter? For just a moment, imagine a world without wheelchair ramps. Citizens with certain special needs would be unable to access great portions of the world or might face physical danger trying to do so. Thankfully, our culture has long seen the value of accessibility and has not only installed ramps, but automatic doorways, elevators, safety rails, and more. The same concept applies to website accessibility. The digital world is full and rich, but certain tools need to be in place for every citizen to have a welcoming and effective experience. Our goal in Buncombe County Schools is for every page on our websites to be ready for every person. It takes just a little more effort for those of us administrating a school site or page, but it makes a world of difference for many of our visitors.
Also, it's the law. Public school websites are required to be accessible for those with disabilities according to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This is what is meant by having an "ADA Compliant" site, and accessibility is enforced by the Office of Civil Rights. In January of 2017, the federal government's adoption of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) essentially raises the bar even further.
For schools, this means that we must be as vigilant as ever to make our websites and interactive content available for ALL users, and retroactively update previous content according to the new standards. This includes alternate text for photos, links, and website elements, closed captioning for all video content, captions for photos, etc. The requirements extend to social media accounts, as well, such as YouTube and Facebook. Some of this will be addressed at the district level with our hosting company, but for content creators and webmasters, it will need to become a regular part of the workflow of sharing content with the community.
This growing section will include Webmaster tutorials for helping keep your websites ADA compliant.