Title II prohibits public entities, including public schools, colleges, and universities,
from discriminating against people with disabilities. This means all of our programs,
services, and activities, including our website and mobile apps, must be accessible
to students, staff, faculty, and visitors with disabilities.
WCAG is a set of internationally recognized guidelines that explain how to make web
content accessible to people with disabilities, including those who are blind or have
low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, have limited mobility, or have certain cognitive
or learning disabilities. WCAG 2.1 Standards
Yes. Course materials, syllabi, forms, and other documents posted on official websites
are typically considered "web content" and need to be accessible.
Faculty and staff are expected to make the content they create and post, such as documents,
slides, videos, and course materials, accessible to people with disabilities. This
includes adding alt text to images, captioning videos, providing audio description
for videos, using accessible document formatting, and ensuring links and forms work
with screen readers.
There are a few ways to check: many tools (like built-in accessibility checkers in
Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat) can scan your documents for common
issues. As a general rule of thumb, content should have descriptive alt text for images,
properly labeled headings, captioned video, and good color contrast.
Ultimately, the institution as a whole is responsible for compliance, but in practice
this often involves shared responsibility: IT and web teams often manage platform-level
accessibility, while faculty and staff are usually responsible for making the materials
they create and post (documents, videos, slides) accessible.
Yes. If the school has an arrangement with a vendor to provide a website, app, or
platform on its behalf, that tool must meet the WCAG 2.1 AA standard, even if a third-party
company built or maintains it.
The compliance deadline for most colleges and universities, including CCRI, is April
26, 2027.
Helpful Links
Have legal questions or seeking an exception? Ask our ADA Coordinator.
Wondering how to meet a particular student's needs? Work with our DAS Office.
Not sure what type of assistance you need? Contact: [email protected]
Have A Question?
Contact Computer Science and Cybersecurity
At the Community College of Rhode Island, our Computer Science and Cybersecurity
programs are designed to equip students with essential skills for the digital age.