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State of Ohio IT Policy:
Web Site
Accessibility
State of Ohio IT Policy No: ITP- F.3: Effective: 08/20/2007
Definition: Students with
Disabilities
Students
with physical, mental or emotional impairments that interfere with or prevent
normal achievement in the classroom
Scope:
Pursuant to Ohio
IT Policy ITP-A.1, “Authority of the State Chief Information Officer to
Establish Policy Regarding the Acquisition and Use of Computer and
Telecommunications Products and Services,” this state policy is applicable to
every school, organized body, office, or agency established by the laws of the
state for the exercise of any function of state government except for those
specifically exempted. The scope of this information technology policy
includes state computer and telecommunications systems and the employees,
contractors, temporary personnel and other agents of the state who administer
such systems.
Background:
Government must strive to make information and
services accessible to all. The State of Ohio increasingly serves its students,
citizens, businesses, and visitors through the Internet. As part of an ongoing
effort to make the state’s online services available to all Ohioans, agencies
must take reasonable steps to ensure that state-controlled Web sites do not
present unnecessary barriers to those with disabilities. The importance of
accessible Web sites will continue to increase as the number of services the
state delivers on state controlled Web sites expands.
According to the 2005 American Community Survey, 16.6 percent of
Ohioans over the age of five have disabilities.
Many rely on assistive technologies to
render Web pages more usable. In an effort to address accessibility issues,
nationally-recognized standards have been established by independent
organizations to improve the experience of using Web sites for persons with
visual, physical, or developmental disabilities.
The federal government has created its own standard for Web
accessibility. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act states that
federal government agencies shall create accessible Web sites for federal
government employees and the general public. Section 1194.22 of the Code of
Federal Regulations outlines the specific standards that must be followed to
create accessible federal government Web sites. Federal agencies must adhere to
section 1194.22 standards to ensure compliance with section 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act.
Although section 508 and section 1194.22 apply to federal government agencies,
many states have chosen to adopt the standards relating to Web-based intranet
and Internet information and applications. Ohio is one of these States.
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