University Memos

To: OSU Community

Date: February 10, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

At Oregon State University, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment where every student and employee can thrive. We are dedicated to removing barriers and ensuring equal access to university programs, services, and activities. As part of this commitment, we are enhancing digital accessibility across the university.

New Federal Requirements

In spring 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice released a new rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that requires the university to meet certain web and mobile technical standards by April 24, 2026. Adhering to these regulations is not just a legal requirement but a proactive step towards upholding the rights of individuals with disabilities. The OSU Disability Action Steering Group, which includes representatives from various departments, is coordinating efforts across key areas including web and mobile content, video captioning, instructional materials, accommodations, and procurement. Working groups are establishing standards and recommendations to assist OSU community members with compliance.

Call to Action

We need all faculty, staff, and students to join this important endeavor by learning and applying accessibility best practices to your documents, instructional materials, and digital content. Explore OSU’s Digital Accessibility site for resources and tools that can help you make meaningful changes now. In the coming months, we’ll provide more information, guidance and support.

Recent Efforts

An ADA31 Taskforce was formed in 2021 as part of the university’s celebration of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) 31st anniversary. Multiple initiatives and efforts emerged from the taskforce’s recommendations that have laid a strong foundation for our continued progress towards a digitally accessible environment that benefits all OSU community members. These include:

• The OSU Accessibility site was refreshed and relaunched to serve as an information and resource hub.
• The IT Accessibility Policy, signed by President Murthy in August 2024, sets a collaborative vision and strategy for university-wide digital inclusivity.
• Extensive training and outreach have been provided to IT managers and other campus partners to elevate awareness across the institution.
• Operation: Dam the River aims to rapidly reduce and prevent digital accessibility issues by improving data quality from scanning tools, expanding the scanning scope, piloting new issue resolution capabilities on department websites, and developing dashboards and data models to prioritize impactful accessibility issues.
• OSU partners with Aira, a company that provides 24-hour-a-day on-demand remote visual interpretation services for the blind and low-vision community. This service is free for all OSU community members and visitors.
• The Accessible Campus Map Project will create a modern, fully navigable campus map that complies with WCAG 2.1 AA standards, enhancing wayfinding for all.

Embracing digital accessibility enhances the university’s ability to reach and engage a broader audience, supports OSU’s Prosperity Widely Shared goals and affirms the university’s dedication to justice and human dignity by ensuring all individuals, regardless of ability, have equal access to digital resources.

Thank you for joining us in this important and transformative endeavor.

• Alix Gitelman, Senior Vice Provost, Academic Affairs
• Andrea Ballinger, Vice Provost & CIO, University Information and Technology
• Becky Bangs, Executive Director & Title IX coordinator, Equal Opportunity and Access

TO: The OSU Campus Community

FROM: Equal Opportunity and Access and Academic Affairs

RE: 2024 - 2025 Disability Accommodation Memo

Dear Oregon State Colleagues,

Oregon State University is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for all students with disabilities. It is the university’s responsibility to ensure that no qualified student with a disability is excluded from participating in university programs or activities and to reasonably accommodate where needed. Providing equal educational opportunity is an important and shared responsibility. Faculty and staff play a critical role in ensuring equal access.

Please refer to OSU's policies related to disability, the Disability Access Services (DAS) Faculty and Staff Guidelines for more in-depth information, and the DAS Student Handbook for more in-depth information.

Syllabus Statement

DAS and Faculty Senate provide a model accommodation statement that must be included in all syllabi.

Disability Access Services Instructor Information

DAS has implemented an instructor online services portal to provide a single space for instructors to review all DAS-related accommodation notifications for students in their classes. The DAS Notification Letters will still be emailed, this is an additional way to access the information.

In addition to the OSU Critical Training for Promoting Equal Opportunity & Inclusion, DAS offers a concise (30-minute) self-paced online course about accommodations: Disability Access Services Faculty Training.

If you have any questions, connect with DAS either by Zoom drop-in from 10:30 AM -12:30 PM (M-F) (PST), email [email protected], or phone at 541-737-4098.

Canvas and Remote Teaching Material Accessibility

Courses created in Canvas, as well as electronic documents and media, need to be accessible for students with disabilities. Multiple OSU offices have developed resources on making materials accessible. Resources include: Canvas – Improving Accessibility in Your Course; Ally for Canvas, an accessibility checker and tool for Canvas; and Creating and Editing Captions in Kaltura and Zoom.

Aira Visual Interpreting

OSU has partnered with Aira, a company that provides 24-hour-a-day on-demand remote visual interpretation services for the blind and low-vision community. This new service is free for all OSU community members and visitors.

OSU’s Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability policy states

...no qualified person shall, solely by reason of disability, be denied access to, participation in, or the benefits of, any program or activity provided by the University. Each qualified person shall receive the reasonable accommodations needed to ensure equal access to employment, educational opportunities, programs and activities in the most integrated setting feasible.

Thank you for your attention to understanding our obligations.

Becky Bangs

Executive Director, Equal Opportunity and Access

Alix Gitelman

Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

TO: Deans and Department Heads

FROM: The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access

RE: Video captioning and reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act

As we begin another busy academic year, it is important that we attend to our responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure that students with disabilities have equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from all of our programs, services, and activities.

One of these responsibilities extends to our communications. When we provide programs through videos we must ensure equal opportunity for success to students who are deaf or hard of hearing. This can be accomplished by using captioned video resources—by purchasing captioned video resources whenever possible and by working with Disability Access Services to provide captioning on uncaptioned video resources. Common types of videos that should be captioned include, but are not limited to: videos from internet resources, video sharing websites (e.g., YouTube), DVDs, and video cassettes.

Refusal of this form of accommodation is not reasonable unless it can be established after the appropriate deliberative process that this form of accommodation would fundamentally alter the course or program, or is unduly burdensome, or that there are reasonable alternatives. Only rarely can these justifications for refusal be demonstrated. It generally is not unduly burdensome that the faculty member may have to plan a little further in advance or spend the minimal time needed to request captioning.

For captioning of uncaptioned videos we ask that faculty please work with Disability Access Services (DAS)(7-4098) to arrange for captioning of videos that will be used in the course. If at all possible, please plan ahead as much as possible by giving at least two weeks notice of the need for captioning. If two weeks simply is not possible, DAS will try to meet your needs as their staffing capacity allows; however, the more notice the better. Funding for captioning of videos shown in the classroom is provided by Disability Access Services. There is a small cost for the captioning of videos used in department sponsored public events. If your department is unable to cover captioning costs or needs financial assistance, please contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access (7-3556).

We request that deans and department heads bring this issue to the attention of all teaching faculty. Please direct any questions regarding this memo to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access (7-3556).

We thank you for cooperating in ensuring equality of educational opportunity.

TO: The OSU Campus Community

FROM: Equal Opportunity and Access, Faculty Affairs, and Academic Affairs

RE: Disability Access and Accommodation

We are writing to remind you about OSU’s responsibility under Federal and State law and University policy to reasonably accommodate any qualified student, faculty/staff member or visitor who has a disability. OSU’s Policy and Guidelines for Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability states:

What is a "reasonable accommodation?"

Accommodations can include moving programs to accessible locations, providing interpreters, providing computer or other specialized equipment, restructuring job responsibilities, providing flexible work schedules, producing written materials in alternate formats, and many other options.

How do I request an accommodation?

• Employee requests: An employee with a disability should contact her/his department to request accommodation.
• Student requests: Students with disabilities should contact Disability Access Services (DAS) — this unit coordinates all services needed for students in an academic or classroom setting.
• Visitor requests: Visitors, conference attendees, or job applicants with disabilities who need accommodation should contact the sponsoring department.

Learn more about requesting accommodations or responding to requests

(Link is external).

How do I respond to a request for accommodation?

• Employee requests: When an employee contacts you to request a job modification or accommodation, immediately contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access (EOA) at 737-3556 or by email. Your department must engage with the employee and EOA in an “interactive process.” Through this process, EOA, working with the employee and department, will determine whether or not an accommodation can be made and, if necessary, assist you in securing resources.
• Student requests: Faculty members and department staff should work with Disability Access Services (DAS) to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities. Learn more about making your classes and materials accessible

• (Link is external) to the largest number of students.
• Visitor requests: Departments should work directly with visitors/conference attendees/job applicants to accommodate their needs. Units seeking sign language interpreters should contact Disability Access Services. If a department is unable to provide accommodation, it may request assistance from the EOA. Learn more about publicizing events and ensuring access for the campus community and visitors.

Confidentiality

Any information you receive regarding the disability of a student or employee should be kept confidential and shared only on a strict need-to-know basis.

More information

If you have questions or wish to request training for your unit, you may contact:

• Disability Access Services for questions dealing with services to students and classroom instruction, or
• Equal Opportunity and Access for general information and training, reasonable accommodation requests, dedicated parking, and financial resources for providing accommodation.