The University of Pittsburgh is committed to ensuring equal access by making its websites and all other electronic and information technology accessible to all users. The EIT Accessibility Policy establishes the standards for the accessibility of electronic information and technology (EIT) necessary to meet this goal and comply with all applicable laws and regulations while the Procedure establishes the processes necessary to meet this goal. Schools and units have agency over, and responsibility for, how their units can best meet the Policy requirements.
Key compliance elements from the Policy and Procedure are outlined below with additional details and resources to support their implementation.
- Regular Reporting
Implementation Plans
All schools, departments and units are required to submit to the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion an implementation plan that outlines individual decisions and strategies about how to best meet the requirements of the EIT Accessibility Policy. These implementation plans are the basis for measuring the progress of the unit’s accessibility efforts. Implementation plans are submitted every 4 years.
Implementation plans ask for the following information:
- Categorization of a school/unit’s EIT as Fundamental or Secondary
- An implementation timeline with compliance targets and actions
- Unit supports and structures
- Requests for University-level support
Annual Reports
All schools, departments, and units are also required to submit annual reports to OEDI that details efforts made to comply with the EIT Accessibility Policy. These reports will allow the University to assess its institutional progress and offer an opportunity for schools, departments, and units to report their yearly accessibility progress and efforts.
Annual reports ask for the following information:
- List of any New EIT procured or created
- Siteimprove web accessibility scores
- Progress status report on goals from implementation plans
- Any accessibility complaints and resolutions throughout the year
Complaints
Some complaints about inaccessible EIT can be resolved easily through internal remediation, while others will require more substantial efforts and sometimes require the coordination of outside vendors. If a complaint cannot be resolved promptly, equivalent alternate access must be provided to the information/service in a timely manner. After providing equivalent alternate access, efforts should continue to resolve the accessibility barriers for all.
- Defining EIT and Timeline
Defining EIT & Priorities
The EIT Accessibility Policy establishes a priority order for accessibility compliance as follows:
- New EIT: Any EIT that is acquired, purchased, or renewed after this Policy’s effective date.
- Fundamental EIT: Any EIT that is significant and used in the normal course of operations at the University to support teaching, research, or administrative functions, as determined by the relevant Department in partnership with the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (OEDI).
- Secondary EIT: Any EIT that was acquired, purchased, or renewed before this Policy’s effective date and is not Fundamental EIT.
When categorizing EIT, the following are the types of information or transactions that support normal university operations and therefore likely involve Fundamental EIT:
- Course content
- Registration
- Advising
- Admissions
- Financial Aid
- Human Resources
- Student Affairs
- Technology
- Library
Timelines for Compliance
Below are the timelines for compliance established in the Policy. It is important to note, however, that a 2024 federal update to Title II of the ADA requires that all University EIT regardless of University-defined priority classification be made accessible and in compliance with WCAG 2.1 by April 24, 2026. This timeline takes priority over the University-defined timelines.
New EIT: must be in compliance with the applicable standards and guidelines described in this Policy, as of the date this Policy is adopted, or satisfy an exception.
Fundamental EIT: must be in compliance with the applicable standards and guidelines described in this Policy as soon as possible, but no later than two years after this Policy’s effective date, or satisfy an exception, except as noted immediately below.- Fundamental course content that existed prior to the effective date of this Policy must be in compliance with the applicable standards and guidelines described in this Policy as soon as possible, but no later than four years after this Policy’s effective date. Until accessibility of course content is achieved, accommodations must be provided as needed per the direction of the Disability Resources and Services department.
Secondary EIT: must be updated to be in compliance with the applicable standards and guidelines described in this Policy, or the content must otherwise be made available in an equally effective accessible format, and in a timely manner, to any individual requesting access. The unit responsible for its maintenance must make it compliant with the applicable standards or provide an equally effective accommodation.
Exceptions
The Policy allows for exceptions if any of the following circumstances are demonstrated.
- Where compliance is not technically possible or may require extraordinary measures due to the nature or intended use of the information resource, application or service. Lack of sufficient funding for any particular area of the University would not be considered as the sole reason for an exception.
- Where compliance would result in a fundamental alteration of the information resource, application, or service, and not satisfy the original intent.
- Where, in the case that information resources, applications and services that are procured through third party vendors or contractors; and that no alternative accessible products are available from other third-party vendors or contractors, procurement may be made of a non-compliant product.
- Where the product is not currently in compliance, but efforts are underway to fix the defects by a defined date.