Accessibility Consulting for Colleges and Universities

Reimagining Digital Accessibility in Higher Education

Many universities are starting to view accessibility as an opportunity as well as an obligation.

Obligation-driven institutions of higher education have relied on students seeking accommodations at or before the academic year, then relying on the schools, colleges, and departments to coordinate with a disabilities service office to create unique solutions.

This reactive treadmill has proven a poor solution for meeting federal and state legislative requirements such as Section 504, Title II, and Title III. Failure to meet these laws can lead to Office of Civil Rights (OCR) complaints, Department of Justice (DOJ) action, litigation, and can break the trust with student and faculty communities.

Taking a reactive posture is also costly for a university as the focus is on solving the immediate issue with less emphasis on future abatement. Conversely, universities that view accessibility as an opportunity have some common characteristics and benefits:

• Active Recruitment of Students with Disabilities
• Active Recruitment of Staff and Faculty with Disabilities
• Fewer Students Required to Self-identify
• Effective Accessible Technology Acquisition
• Proactively Building Accessible Technology
• Acknowledgment of more than Vision Blind, Deaf, Mobility (e.g. Neurodiversity)
• Reduced Long-term Cost
• Reduced Student and Faculty Stress

Microassist can assist an institution of higher education in its quest to become an opportunity-driven organization.

Our Approach

Microassist’s accessibility team is experienced in helping universities like yours create actionable plans to reimagine the role of accessibility across the institution.   So whether your organization is in the first steps of creating a modern governance structure or you are simply seeking guidance on streamlining processes, we have the experience and knowledge to help accelerate your goals. In general, the Microassist team will break engagements into the following phases.

Phase 1: Policy and Governance

• Governance Structure
• Governance and Policy Support

Phase 2: Products and Service Acquisition

• Purchasing Policy
• Acquisition Policy
• Technology Development
• Auditing and Monitoring

Phase 3: Strategic Planning

• Prioritization
• Project Planning and Timelines
• Resource
  • Budget
  • Roles and Responsibilities
  • Staffing
  • Technology
• Training

Phase 4: Implementation

• Multi-year Execution
• Training
  • Training Development
  • Training Acquisition