The Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity will launch an improved website later this month. The online upgrade will provide a more accessible web presence as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. As an institution subject to the ADA, NC State must adhere to the guidelines set forth in the ADA’s Section 504, which states that:
“no qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall be excluded from, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under” any program or activity that receives federal financial assistance.
While previous website upgrades improved OIED’s website accessibility, compliance testing provided by the university’s IT accessibility coordinator revealed that the site was not yet completely accessible. The upgrade should address these issues. Campus departments or organizations who wish to check their websites for ADA compliance should contact IT Accessibility.
“Providing a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for all students, faculty and staff includes accommodating members of the campus community who depend on IT accessibility for their education and/or work,” says Vice Provost Sheri Schwab. “We in the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity must set an example for the campus to show that we put resources behind this statement — that we not only believe this, but that we follow through to make sure it is a reality.”
Along with improved accessibility for use with assistive technology such as screen readers, the new website will provide the same user-friendly experience visitors to the majority of other NC State websites have come to expect, including incorporation of the new university calendar, which merges events from across the university and enables views by topic and hosting unit.
What Can You Find on the OIED Website?
In addition to the news article you are now reading, the OIED website maintains all of its current and prior news on its website. Our articles also reside on NC State’s Newswire system, where any campus entity using the Newswire system can incorporate them into their own website’s newsfeed.
You will also find information about all of the programs, services and initiatives of the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity, including diversity, equity and inclusion, our campus community centers (African American Cultural Center, GLBT Center, Multicultural Student Affairs and Women’s Center), university committees and connections, compliance activities, support and safety, and news and events.
We invite feedback at any time regarding our website and programs to oied-communications@ncsu.edu.