Policy and Procedure
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 procedures establish the processes necessary to meet this goal.
Key compliance elements from the policy and procedure are outlined below with additional details and resources to support their implementation.
Initial Plans
COVID-19 and our response as a university community has altered our rollout and implementation strategy for the EIT Policy. However, we recognize that it is vital that we begin the work of ensuring our digital content and technology are accessible to ALL during this time of remote work and learning.
As a first step, we are asking all schools and units to complete an initial plan, which will provide us with vital information about Pitt’s digital landscape and what resources will be necessary to ensure its accessibility.
Implementation Plans
All schools, departments and units are required to submit to the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion an initial implementation plan that outlines individual decisions and strategies about how to best meet the requirements of the EIT Accessibility policy. These implementation plans will be the basis for measuring the progress of the unit’s accessibility efforts.
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.
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.
To demonstrate that any of those circumstances exist, purchasers and developers of EIT must complete the EIT Exceptions form and submit it to OEDI for review.
Exception Request Form (Qualtrics)
Compliance Program
In order to ensure compliance with the EIT Accessibility Policy and continuous improvement toward full inclusion, a compliance program has been designed to include continuous or regular monitoring by both individual units and OEDI as well as an internal review process to provide a more robust check.