Frequently Asked Questions

Any digital content (video, audio, documents) displayed on your website or used in a course should also be accessible. For example, a YouTube video embedded on your site—even if you do not own the content—needs to be accessible for your website to comply. PDFs, Word documents, and PowerPoint presentations must be accessible before posting. Visit the Shortcut to Services page on the ITS Accessibility website to initiate an accessibility service request.

Yes, videos should be captioned, and a text transcript should also be available. Some videos may require audio description if there is information conveyed in the video that is not narrated. ITS Accessibility can arrange video captioning, text transcripts, and audio descriptions. Complete the Video Captioning Request form in ServiceNow to request these services.

ITS Accessibility's goal is to pivot the campus to a proactive digital accessibility stance. When you proactively apply digital Accessibility to all digital content, it helps all students, even if they are not registered with OSD.

• Disabilities manifest themselves in various degrees. They are not always visible or apparent, and a student will not necessarily identify themselves as having a disability.
• One ultimate outcome of the Accessible Technology Initiative is that all materials will be accessible to as many people as possible from the outset. As instructors want to reach as many people as possible in their instruction, this principle ensures that nobody falls through the cracks.

• Paper based print materials (books, reader packets, reserve readings, lab manuals, handouts, written exam)
• Electronic print materials (web-based and LMS-based content; electronic reserves, book bundled e-text, computerized exams)
• Multimedia materials (web-based video/audio, commercial DVDs, material bundled with books, photographic slides or lab samples)

• Perceivable: Users are able to access information contained in the materials by modifying its presentation
• Operable: Users are able to interact with and manipulate the content
• Understandable: Users are able to receive the content in a comprehensive manner.
• Robust: Users are able to transform the content into formats that are more compatible with assistive technology

• Sensory Impairments (blindness and low vision)
• Neurological Impairments (learning disabilities, ADHD, Traumatic Brain injury)
• Physical/Mobility impairments (quadriplegia, cerebral palsy)

It depends. Blackboard and Canvas are generally accessible; however, documents and other digital assets which are added to the learning management system must be made accessible. For example, if streaming videos are added to the online environment, they need to have synchronized captions for students who have hearing impairments. Also, documents need to be accessible for screen readers and other assistive technologies. Many Word and PDF documents are not automatically accessible.

Students are not required to self-identify their disability. That is each student’s prerogative. Those who are registered with the Disability Programs and Resource Center (DPRC) are encouraged to discuss their needs with instructors. One thing to keep in mind though is that students with disabilities may feel ashamed, may be in denial or may be even unaware that they have a disability. All students eligible for services through the DPRC meet strict documentation requirements.

• The goal is to provide instructional materials, including online course materials, to students with disabilities at the same time it is available to any other enrolled student. To reach that goal, sufficient time needs to be allowed for obtaining or creating alternate formats. If publishers are unresponsive or uncooperative at providing an electronic version of the textbook (e-text) intended for those needing an alternate format to the standard print version, then the Disability Programs and Resource Center (DPRC) is tasked with essentially creating e-text.
• This re-creation involves a timely conversion process: scanning, converting the image to text, correcting misread characters, reapplying format styles and reordering elements that were jumbled in the conversion, explaining images and figures, and sometimes recreating tables. If books don’t arrive in the bookstore until a couple weeks before class begins, then it becomes difficult to process the bottleneck of 150-200 books at once in a timely manner. Academic Senate Policy #S08-249 recognizes this need and details the rationale at the following link on timely textbook adoption.

There is an extensive range of hardware products under the ICT classification; not all hardware requires an ICT form before purchase. A quick and easy rule to apply is "does the hardware have an interface?". If the hardware has an interface component to control or interact with the device, chances are an ICT form is required. If you still need clarification on a specific hardware purchase, reach out to our accessible procurement specialist.

The review process depends on the impact of your purchase. We categorize impact based on who has access to the product and its intended purpose. High impact purchases take longer than medium, and low impact purchases are generally approved quickly. There is no set timeline for approvals. Apart from impact, the approval time is affected by vendor responsiveness and the availability and quality of required accessibility and security documentation.

Yes. The ICT Purchase Approval Request is always required before the renewal of your product or service. At each renewal, we check for updated documentation and determine whether vendor commitments were met. Also, since all software is dynamic which regularly updates features and the interface (whether discernable or not), an annual review addresses those changes as they arise.

We will shortly add the ability to the ICT Purchase Approval Request process where the requester can recall last year’s submission and review it and re-submit for this renewal period. The ability to review and resubmit will save time and eliminate duplication of effort moving forward.

The vendor is responsible for the completion of all required documentation. Accessibility documentation includes:

• VPAT/ACR: Voluntary Product Accessibility Template/Accessibility Conformance Report
• Accessibility Roadmap when requested

If your product access, transmits, or stores sensitive data the following security documents may also be required:

• HECVAT: Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Tool

As the ICT produict requestor, you should never attempt to complete required documentation on behalf of the vendor.

When a medium or high impact ICT product in use has significant accessibility barriers, the requestor is required to engage the EEAAP committee to produce an alternative method of access or interaction for affected groups.  Once an EEAAP is created, it is also reviewed annually along with the product renewal.

We have a dedicated page for vendor VPAT support. If the vendor requires additional assistance, they may email our Accessible Procurement Specialist.

Our new and improved process will gradually capture ICT that is already in use. Although our process is new, the requirements are not. The ICT Purchase Approval Request is essential to ensure that CalStateLA is proactively addressing the accessibility and security of our ICT products and services.

The review process depends heavily on contact with a vendor representative. Without vendor contact, we are unable to complete not only the review process but the procurement process as well.   Providing contact information for a specific person is always preferred over generic information, and it will help expedite our process.

Once the review is complete you, and others you designated will receive an automated email notification from the ServiceNow ticketing system. This email is proof that your product has completed the review process for this period and should be included along with your requisition paperwork.