Considering Accessibility First

Would you develop a website that is inaccessible to part of your target audience?
Would you procure a service that a significant portion of your employees couldn't utilize?
Would you purchase a product that not all students could access?

That could be the reality if accessibility is not considered first when developing, procuring or distributing Electronic Information Resources (EIR), also known as digital resources. According to the Texas Department of Information Resources, more than four million Texans have disabilities that can affect their interaction with the Internet, the telephone, and other means of electronic communication. In the United States, nearly one in five Americans has some level of disability; One in four of us has a visual difficulty or impairment; one in four of us has a dexterity difficulty or impairment, and one in five of us has a hearing difficulty or impairment.

Why it's so important

• It makes sense. As an institution, it allows us to reach more individuals with our teaching and learning initiatives, with our research findings and with the real-life applications associated with each of them.
• It's required by law. As a state-supported institution, as well as one that receives federal funding for grants and initiatives, our university is required to provide accessible EIR.

Contact the Technology Services accessibility team if you have any questions or comments.