Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility / Digital Accessibility

What is EIT Accessibility?

Electronic Information and Technology (EIT) Accessibility, also referred to as Digital Accessibility, includes, but is not limited to, any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment that is used in the creation, conversion, or duplication of electronic or digital data or information, such as web sites, course and instructional materials (Word documents, PDF documents, PowerPoint presentations, video, podcasts, etc.), courseware, software, other classroom technologies, content management systems, search engines and databases, registration and grades, financial and human resource management systems, telecommunications, and emerging technologies.

EIT Accessibility offers extensive pedagogical benefits for people with and without disabilities. It leverages the principles of Usability and Universal Design for Learning, which emphasize the importance of meeting the needs of all learners.

SUNY Empire EIT Accessibility Policy

As such, Empire State University has an EIT Accessibility Policy in compliance with applicable local, state, and federal regulations and laws. SUNY Empire is committed to providing equal access to its services, programs, and activities for all users. An accessible EIT environment enhances usability for everyone.

This policy applies to all Electronic Information Technology (EIT) acquired, developed, distributed, used, purchased, or implemented by or for SUNY Empire and used to provide SUNY Empire programs, services, or activities. This includes, but is not limited to, all EIT related to University business, academic and outreach, including web pages that represent SUNY Empire, electronic documents, and any multimedia created or obtained.

How to Get Assistance with EIT Accessibility

If you need assistance with an EIT issue please complete this EIT request form, or if you cannot access the form please email EITAccessibility@sunyempire.edu

Empire Accessibility Courses

Visit the SUNY Empire Employee Learning Hub to take Accessibility Fundamentals, which is required of all university employees. Employees will be asked to refresh this training every 2 years. Additional trainings, such as Basic Document Accessibility, will be provided on the Employee Learning Hub as well. We ask employees to complete at least 2 trainings per year (including the refresh) to ensure continuing professional development in this area.

Accessibility Quickstart Guides

Microsoft Office

Adobe

Adobe Acrobat

Acrobat XI, added August 2013
Acrobat X, added June 2012

Adobe InDesign

InDesign CS5.5, added September 2012

Terms of Use

We encourage institutions to use these cheatsheets in their own accessibility efforts. We offer them at no cost but you must maintain the GOALS/ NCDAE branding while distributing them. We also recommend you link directly to our cheatsheets, instead of hosting them locally on your own site, because we are continually updating them and want to ensure you get the most up to date information. For more information visit our Copyright & Terms of Use page. Made possible by a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education. No official endorsement should be inferred. Copyright © 2007-2022 NCDAE (National Center on Disability and Access to Education). All rights reserved.

Additional External Resources

National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning at CAST
WebAIM: Contrast Checker
Digital Accessibility Guidelines by University of Oregon
- The above accessibility guidelines, developed by UO Digital Accessibility and shared with permission, outline criteria for digital content, documents, and more.

Captioning a Video - LEARNscape

To request machine-generated captions and transcripts for video and audio content on LEARNscape, follow these steps:

Go to the recording and click on the "Actions" drop-down.
Select "Caption and enrich."
Check that the language and caption type is accurate in the pre-populated request form, and hit the "Submit" button.

Machine-generated captions and transcripts will be available within 24 hours. It is the requestor's responsibility to verify the accuracy of their captions and transcripts. For more information, please visit this Captioning a Video tutorial.

Professional captioning can be requested for recordings that will be published to public facing categories on the LEARNscape website and/or promoted in the LEARNscape carousel. Please allow 1-2 business days.

Faculty Resources for Online Learning

Visit the Ensuring Accessibility page from the Office of Digital Learning, Innovation, and Strategy for more resources.