Website Accessibility Policy

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Website Accessibility Policy is to ensure that all students, employees, and community members with disabilities have equal access to the College鈥檚 digital and web-based information, programs, services, and platforms. The College is committed to ensuring that its web environments support the full participation of the college community.

POLICY

The College and its Board of Trustees (鈥淏oard鈥�) prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability in all College operations, including online and digital platforms. The College is committed to providing equal access to its websites, learning management systems, electronic documents, and other digital services in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended in 2008; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504); the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination; and other applicable laws and regulations. The College will make reasonable efforts to ensure that all new and existing web content complies with current accessibility standards, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA or higher, to enable qualified individuals to participate in the College鈥檚 digital environment.

The Board delegates to the President the responsibility to develop procedures and guidelines for the implementation of this policy. The Office of Accessibility Services shall be responsible for implementing the procedures and guidelines developed for this policy.

Approved: June 2025
Approved by: Board of Trustees
Category: Accessibility Services
Subcategory: Website Accessibility Compliance Policy
Responsible Office(s): Accessibility Services, Institutional Engagement and Excellence
Scheduled for review: June 2028

Procedures

Introduction

The College and Board of Trustees ("Board") are committed to ensuring that all students, employees, and community members with disabilities have equal access to the College's digital and web-based information, programs, services, and platforms as outlined in the Website Accessibility Policy. This procedure outlines guidelines for adding new or updating existing digital materials to the College Website. It also highlights the rights and responsibilities of the parties involved in the process, provides additional resources and references, and defines important related terms.

Office of Accessibility Services:
The College has designated the Office of Accessibility Services to support the execution of this procedure. In addition to overseeing the implementation of the College鈥檚 web accessibility efforts, the Office of Accessibility Services will maintain resources, including training materials, to assist individuals in complying with this procedure when creating, revising, or managing web content.

Web Accessibility Guidelines:
New or Substantially Revised Content:
All new content or content that undergoes significant revisions after the effective adoption of the Web Accessibility Policy must comply with the Accessibility Standard. Additionally, site owners responsible for ensuring that the College's website is maintained, upgraded, or updated by vendors must ensure that the vendor's design, code, and content meet the Accessibility Standard at the time of contract initiation or renewal.

Existing Content:
Existing content refers to web-based materials developed before the effective adoption of the Web Accessibility Policy. The College (Web and Portal Services) will periodically assess existing web content to determine compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards and continuously modify existing content while prioritizing high-traffic institutional web pages and those deemed most critical.

If an individual with a disability requests access to content that is not currently accessible, the College will provide that content in an accessible format unless the Accessibility Advisory Committee grants an exception (see below).

Exceptions:
In certain circumstances, exceptions may be granted. If adherence to the WCAG Standards is not possible or would constitute a fundamental alteration to the existing content or financial burden, the College will make determinations on the applicability of exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Individual content creators or approvers may request exceptions to this policy by contacting the Director of Accessibility Services. Exceptions may be granted or denied at the discretion of the Director, who will consult with the Accessibility Advisory Committee and other College officials as necessary.

Reporting a Barrier
Individuals who experience a web accessibility barrier should complete the . The Director of Accessibility Services or designee will review all submissions to assess the barrier and web content issue, and determine a solution to resolve the accessibility issue in a timely manner, in most cases within fifteen (15) business days of receiving the complaint. The resolution will be communicated in writing to the complainant. If the resolution is not satisfactory to the complainant, a grievance may be filed in accordance with established Accessibility Grievance.

Third-Party Vendor Agreements and Contracts
College employees engaging third-party vendors for website-related services must select vendors that demonstrate a proven commitment to web accessibility and compliance with the WCAG 2.1 AA standards. If a vendor is unable or unwilling to provide written assurance that its services will be accessible to individuals with disabilities, the employee must consult with the Director of Accessibility Services to explore alternative solutions and obtain necessary approvals.

Training and Resources
The Director of Accessibility Services or designee will collaborate with various College administrative units as necessary to provide training and publicize resources to support web accessibility compliance. The Director or designee will oversee required and periodic training on website accessibility for all developers and content creators for the College鈥檚 website. To request additional or customized individual or departmental training regarding web accessibility, contact the Director of Accessibility Services.

Definitions
Accessibility: The degree to which individuals with disabilities have independent and timely access to and use of websites or web-based applications, in some instances with the help of assistive technologies.

Accessibility Advisory Committee: A committee organized by the Office of Accessibility Services that meets quarterly throughout the academic year to evaluate policies, procedures, and other matters related to accessibility.

Accessibility Standard: The set of guidelines and best practices outlined in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA and other relevant laws, including Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), that ensure digital content is usable by individuals with disabilities.

Content: Information and sensory experience to be communicated to the user by means of a user agent, including code or markup that defines the content鈥檚 structure, presentation, and interactions; includes, but is not limited to, video, text, images, documents, and underlying code.

College Website: Any website, web application, or digital service operated by or on behalf of the College, including official departmental websites, student portals, and other online platforms.

Exception: A formal request to temporarily or permanently waive the requirements of the Accessibility Standard due to specific circumstances that make compliance impractical or unduly burdensome.

Site Owner: The individual or administrative unit responsible for managing, maintaining, or overseeing the College webpage. This includes faculty, staff, or any vendor who handles website design, development, and maintenance.

Undue Burden: A situation where meeting accessibility standards would require significant or unreasonable effort, fundamentally alter the purpose or nature of the content, or impose excessive costs or technical challenges.

Vendor: Any individual or entity engaged by the College鈥檚 faculty, staff, or students to procure, design, develop, modify, or maintain the College website.

WCAG: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, a series of guidelines intended to provide recommendations on how to make online content accessible to individuals with disabilities or those using assistive technology.

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