CAHNRS Colleagues,
Recently, those of us who produce web-based academic materials, update websites or publish research online have been presented with the challenge and opportunity to improve the accessibility of our content. These efforts have been spurred on by WSU’s commitment to the Department of Education to improve our online accessibility, as well as changes in technology standards that now allow us to pursue the ideal of universally accessible information on the web.
Though WSU is still in the early stages of inventorying web content and finalizing a web accessibility strategy, CAHNRS has begun identifying ways in which we can enhance our unique mission of Research, Education, and Outreach in the State of Washington with updated technologies that will further expand our audience. With this goal in mind, CAHNRS has identified new Web Accessibility Goals which will serve as guiding principles in our effort to improve accessibility within the college. In summary, CAHNRS will work to
- improve our online authoring tools to naturally encourage and support the creation of accessible content,
- provide instruction and training for web authors on the importance of accessible content,
- and define a process by which our constituents can request accessible formats for materials they currently struggle to access.
Please rest assured that inhibiting the publication of valuable research and educational materials is the antithesis of the intent behind the WSU accessibility initiative and that CAHNRS approach to accessibility will be a thoughtful, iterative process of improvement.
If you have specific questions or concerns regarding accessibility please contact Bill Bonner at bbonner@wsu.edu. As always, if you have technical questions please email us at cit.support@wsu.edu.
Thank you!