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Accessibility Policy

ACCESSIBILITY

Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the accessibility of any specific web page on www.highlandschools.org. We will make all reasonable efforts to make that page or file accessible for you.

The Web Accessibility Coordinator can be reached through the Highland Technology Office, located inside Highland High School, 4150 Ridge Road, Medina, OH 44256.

Phone: 330-239-1901, ext. 5500.

7540.02 - WEB CONTENT AND FUNCTIONALITY SPECIFICATIONS

This guideline and AG 5723 and AG 7540 apply to all web content hosted on the Board's servers or District-affiliated servers or provided through the District's web pages/sites, whether created by Board members, administrators, staff, students, or contracted third parties. The Superintendent retains final editorial authority over all content placed on the Board's servers or District-affiliated servers and displayed on the Board's website(s). The Superintendent has the right to remove pages or links from any web page based upon his/her determination of inappropriate content. The District's Web Accessibility Coordinator is charged with implementing these guidelines. The Web Accessibility Coordinator can be reached at:

The Office of the Director of Technology
4150 Ridge Road, Medina, OH 44256
330-239-1901

The District's website(s) serve(s) as instructional, communication, and public relations tools. The web pages aim to provide timely, supportive and educational information to the students, parents, staff and Highland community. The website(s) are created in order to facilitate access to a wide variety of rich media and educational resources that directly support student achievement, professional development, and organizational effectiveness.

The District strives to deliver a website(s) that is/are adaptive so it/they can be viewed in an optimal manner on all devices.

Website Accessibility 
The District's website(s) operate(s) in compliance with Federal and State law. As such, the District is committed to providing individuals with disabilities with an opportunity equal to that of persons without disabilities to participate in the District's programs, benefits, and services, including those delivered through electronic and information technology, except where doing so would impose an undue burden or create a fundamental alteration. To this end, the Web Accessibility Coordinator is charged with verifying the District's website(s) allow(s) persons with disabilities to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same benefits and services within the same timeframe as persons without disabilities, with substantially equivalent ease of use, not be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination in any District programs, services, and activities delivered online, as required by Federal and State law, and receive effective communication with District programs, services, and activities delivered online. 

The District measures the accessibility of online content and functionality according to the World Wide Web Consortiums (W3C's) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA.

All web content and functionality, including new, newly-added and modified web content and functionality must be accessible to individuals with disabilities as measured by conformance to the Benchmarks for Measuring Accessibility, except where doing so would impose a fundamental alteration or undue burden. This provision also applies to the District's online content and functionality developed by, maintained by, or offered through a third-party vendor or through the use of open sources when the content pertains to the District's programs, benefits and/or services. The Web Accessibility Coordinator will vet online content available on the District's web pages/sites that is related to the District's programs, benefits and/or services to verify compliance with the requirements of this paragraph.

Nothing in the preceding paragraph, however, shall prevent the District from including links on the District's web pages/sites to recognized news/media outlets (e.g., local newspapers' websites, local television stations' websites) or web pages/sites that are developed and hosted by outside vendors or organizations that are not part of the District's program, benefits and/or services.

When the fundamental alteration or undue burden defense applies, the District will provide equally effective alternate access.  In providing an equally effective alternate access, the District will take any actions that do not result in a fundamental alteration or undue financial and administrative burden, but nevertheless provide that, to the maximum extent possible, individuals with disabilities receive the same benefits or services as their nondisabled peers.  That said, alternatives are not required to produce the identical result or level of achievement for persons with and without disabilities, but must afford persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to obtain the same result, to gain the same benefit, or to reach the same level of achievement, in the most integrated setting appropriate to the person's need. 

Only the Superintendent, after considering all resources available for use in the funding and operation of the service, program, or activity, may determine an undue burden or fundamental alternate defense is applicable. In making such a determination, the Superintendent will document the reasons s/he reached that conclusion. Additionally, the Superintendent will describe how the District will provide equally effective alternate access. 

Students, employees, guests, and visitors can report violations of the technical standards or any accessibility concerns to the Web Accessibility Coordinator. The District's website will include on its home page and throughout the website (including all subordinate pages and sites), a Notice to persons with disabilities regarding how to request the webmaster or other appropriate person to provide access to (or notify the District regarding) content or functionality that is currently inaccessible. The Notice will also include information or an accessible link to information instructing individuals with disabilities how to file more formal complaints under Section 504 and/or the ADA. 

The Web Accessibility Coordinator will establish a system to routinely audit/test the accessibility of the District's online content and measure it against the technical standards adopted above. This audit will occur no less than once every two (2) years. This system must include processes to verify claims of accessibility by third-party vendors or open sources. The purpose of the audit is to identify any web content or functionality that is inaccessible to persons with disabilities. The person/entity who conducts the audit shall report to the Superintendent the results of the audit. If problems are identified, they will be documented, evaluated, and, if necessary, remediated within a reasonable period. The audit shall include the District's home page, all subordinate pages, and School intranet pages and sites. 

The District will provide website accessibility training to all appropriate personnel. The training will include information concerning this guideline and the employees' respective roles and responsibilities associated with verifying that web design, documents and multimedia content are accessible. The training will be facilitated by individuals with sufficient knowledge, skill and experience to understand and employ the technical standards identified above.

Individuals responsible for designing, developing and producing web content are expected to employ universal design principles to create web pages and sites that allow persons with the disabilities identified at the end of this document to access the information and content on the District's website.  By following the web content design criteria set forth below, the designers and authors of the District's website(s) can improve the opportunities for persons with disabilities to access the information and content contained on the web pages that make up the District's website(s).

Intellectual Property

  1. All website authors must follow applicable and existing intellectual property laws (copyright and trademark) pertaining to the use of text, images, video, audio/sounds, and hyperlinks to other websites/pages. (see AG 2531) 
  2. The Board retains proprietary rights to website/pages hosted on its servers, absent written authorization to the contrary.

Use of Student Names, Pictures, Original Work, and E-mail Addresses
The Board permits the use of photographs of students, names of students, and displaying original work of students on websites in accordance with the following: Identifiable photographs of students and/or student's first names may be placed on the Internet only after the appropriate release form has been signed by the parents or guardians. 

Prohibited Uses
Under no circumstances may a web page hosted on the Board's servers be used for commercial purposes, advertising, political lobbying, or to provide financial gains for any individual. Included in this prohibition is the fact no web pages contained on the District's website may:

  1. include statements or other items that support or oppose a candidate for public office; the investigation, prosecution, or recall of a public official; or passage of a tax levy or bond issue;
  2. link to a website of another organization if the other website includes such a message; or
  3. communicate information that supports or opposes any labor organization or any action by, on behalf of, or against any labor organization;
  4. include defamatory, libelous, or obscene matter;
  5. promote alcoholic beverages, cigarettes or other tobacco products, or any illegal product, service, or activity;
  6. promote illegal discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, national origin, disability, age or ancestry. 

Additionally, no web pages may contain obscene, profane, vulgar, sexually explicit, defamatory, harassing or abusive language, or be utilized to intimidate or bully another person.

Content for the District's Website(s)
All subject matter on web pages must relate to curriculum, instruction, school-authorized activities, general information, supporting student safety, growth and learning, or public information of interest to community members.

Neither staff nor students may publish on the District's website personal pages or pages for individuals or organizations not directly affiliated with the District.

Website/Page Evaluation
Before releasing or publishing a website/page, an administrator shall conduct a website/page evaluation to assess the following criteria: age appropriateness (appealing and readable); content (relevant, accurate, complete, objective, current, clear and concise, informative, appropriate, links working); intellectual property issues (sources cited; sponsoring organization identified [i.e. class, school, activity]; releases obtained); format (accessible, navigation, searchable, functional/useable, download speed, pages dated as to creation/updated).

Disclaimers
Links to the following disclaimers shall be utilized as appropriate on the District's Web pages:

"The links in this area will let you leave the District's website(s). The linked sites are not under the control of the District and the District is not responsible for the contents of any linked sites, or any links contained in a linked site, or any changes or updates to such sites. The District is providing these links to you only as a convenience and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement of the site by the District."

Domain Name and Copyright: "The District has registered its domain name(s) for the purpose of exclusive Internet identification. The District asserts copyright, trademark and/or other intellectual property rights in its domain name, district identification, district logo, and all content on the District's website(s). All rights are reserved. Outside parties, including parents, patrons, or outside organizations may not use District and/or school domain names in connection with the publication of web content. Under no circumstances shall any party use District and/or school domain names to promote political issues, causes or candidates."

General Disclaimer: "Information provided on the website carries no express or implied warranties as to accuracy, timeliness, or appropriateness for a particular purpose; in addition, the Board disclaims owner responsibility for content errors, omissions or infringing material, and disclaims owner liability for damages associated with user reliance on information provided at the site."

Events: "Visitors rely on information on the website at their own risk. Times and dates are subject to change and spectators or audiences are strongly encouraged to contact the school for the most recent schedule."

Examples of Disabilities and How they Affect People's Abilities to Perceive and Use Websites/Pages.

Visual Disabilities

  • Blindness - People with no sight typically browse the Internet using voice-output software or refreshable Braille hardware. Such devices "read" what is on the screen to the user.
  • Low vision - Individuals who have limited vision may use screen-enlarging software.
  • Color blindness - To perceive color differences on a computer monitor, individuals with color blindness need high contrast. Also, designers/developers/authors should be mindful of the forms of color blindness when choosing color schemes. Typical color blindness involves the inability to distinguish between red and green, blue and green, or blue and yellow; some people see black and white only.

Auditory Disabilities

  • Deafness - People who cannot hear, experience a website/page only through its text, graphics/images and video.
  • Hard of hearing - Individuals with limited hearing may use sound-enhancing peripherals.

Physical/Motor Disabilities
People with physical disabilities or limited fine motor skills may have difficulty with the following computer-related tasks:

  1.  Detailed manipulation of input devices such as a mouse or roller ball.
  2.  Holding down multiple keyboard keys simultaneously. 

Cognitive/Language Disabilities
Typical problems for people who have cognitive disabilities or disabilities that affect their language skills include the following:

  1. Difficulty with spatial reasoning and/or visualization skills.
  2. Difficulty reading and/or understanding written text (e.g. persons with dyslexia). 

Persons wanting to learn more about web accessibility standards and guidelines should consult the following Internet sources:

The Access Board (www.access-board.gov) - Federal agency dedicated to accessible design.

World Wide Web Consortium (www.w3.org) - organization developed "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0" and the "Web Accessibility Initiative Accessible Rich Internet Applications Suite (WAI-ARIA) 1.0."

Revised 6/19/17

Revised 2/28/19

 

© Neola 2019