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Digital Accessibility at UHCL

Overview

University of Houston-Clear Lake is committed to ensuring its digital content complies with current federal and state accessibility requirements and with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Compliance requires that a person with a disability be able to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability, and be able to do so in an equally effective manner with substantially equivalent ease of use. Information and services must be made available at the same time to a person with a disability as to a person without a disability. Beyond that, UHCL strives to support sustainable, user-friendly, device-independent displays to ensure all audiences can access information without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

Texas Law and UHS Policy

UHCL continually works to be compliant in accordance with Texas Administrative Code (TAC) 213 and 206.70, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and UH System SAM 01.D.13 (Electronic and Information Resources Accessibility Policy).

The minimum level standards to comply is Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, level AA. This requirement applies to:

Websites and web pages
Web-based applications
Most publicly accessible digital documents (including PDFs, Word, and Excel files)

What is WCAG 2.1 Level AA?

WCAG 2.1 Level AA is an internationally recognized standard for digital accessibility. Accessible content must, among other things:

Use clear structure with proper headings
Be navigable by keyboard and screen readers
Avoid relying on color alone to convey meaning
Include alternative text for meaningful images
Follow a logical reading and navigation order

Digital Accessibility Complaints and Comments

Complaints and comments regarding digital accessibility should be sent to:

Accessibility Support Team

AST - a component of the Accessibility Support Center

Phone: 281-283-2470
Email: ast@uhcl.edu
Office: Bayou 1632

2700 Bay Area Blvd, Box 258, Houston, TX 77058-1002

Ongoing Digital Accessibility Review

Web content found on the www.uhcl.edu website is reviewed for accessibility by the University Marketing and Communications on an ongoing basis via an external tool called SiteImprove. In cases where content is determined to be inaccessible, University Marketing and Communications will follow the university's established web governance processes to address the issue.