Accommodations

• All Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi official webpages include a link in the footer to Accessibility.
  • The Mary and Jeff Bell Library provides different means to request accommodations for its variety of resources.
  • Other websites should include an Accessibility link, Contact Us link, or contact information where people with disabilities can raise their concerns.
• All Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi faculty place a statement about accommodations on their syllabi directing students to Disability Services.
  • All faculty should include their contact information and office hours in their syllabi and online courses.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are just that: guidelines. They are designed to be flexible in how they address making digital content accessible. They are revised regularly based on technological improvements and understanding people with disabilities.

They are referenced as part of "universal design." Using them on any digital content will make the content "universally" accessible to most people.

The WCAG guidelines are divided into three conformance levels: A, AA, and AAA. Universities follow federal and state law. Universities are required to meet conformance levels A and AA:

• Level A: Critical guidelines.
  • Required to meet.
  • A person with a disability cannot access the product or service at all if this guideline is not met.
• Level AA: Important guidelines.
  • Required to meet.
  • A person with a disability will experience undue burden accessing the product or service if this guideline is not met.
  • An undue burden discourages people with disabilities. They may give up trying to access the product or service. An undue burden makes the product or service inaccessible.
• Level AAA: Good to have guidelines.
  • These are optional unless a person with disabilities requests an ADA accommodation.
  • A person with a disability will experience frustration, discomfort, or confusion if this guideline is not met.
  • Some people with disabilities will experience undue burden. An undue burden makes the product or service inaccessible.
  • Some of these guidelines can — and do — conflict with each other depending on the disability type.

WCAG is not entirely a one-size-fits-all. WCAG does not address all disabilities even though the guidelines promote universal design.

Does that mean the guidelines are not useful? No, they do help significantly. No technical standards are enough on their own. The user experience, or usability of the product or service, should be tested.

A person with a disability may request a separate option or accommodation anyway. These are reviewed based on their unique needs.

Reasonable accommodations are modifications or adjustments within the learning or working environment. They allow people with a disability to take part in programs, services, or activities. These are the business of the university.

If a person without disabilities makes an accommodation request, it may be refused. If a person makes an accommodation request for services they will not use, it may be refused.

No faculty or staff member may unilaterally refuse an accommodation request. Disability Services should review student requests. Employee Development & Compliance Services should review visitor, faculty, and staff requests.