FUNCTIONALITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF DIGITAL CONTENT AND MOBILE APPS | Administrative Guideline Manual

7540.02 - FUNCTIONALITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF DIGITAL CONTENT AND MOBILE APPS

This guideline and any other guideline and/or Board policy apply to all digital content published on the Board's website and/or hosted or distributed via District-approved/affiliated apps/services (see Bylaw - Definitions) ("digital content"), whether created by Board members, administrators, staff, students, or contracted third parties. The District Administrator retains final editorial authority over all District-generated content that is published on the Board's website(s) and District-approved/affiliated apps/services. The District Administrator retains the authority to remove digital content, including links, from any web page the District Administrator determines is inappropriate. The District's Digital Accessibility Coordinator is charged with implementing these guidelines. The Board designates its Section 504/ADA Compliance Coordinator(s) as the District's Digital Accessibility Coordinator(s).

See Board Policy 2260.01 for the Section 504/ADA Compliance Coordinator(s)’ contact information.

The District's website, including school-specific websites, along with certain District-approved/affiliated apps/services, serve as instructional, communication, and public relations tools. The content on these digital platforms shall aim to provide timely, supportive, and educational information to the students, parents, staff, and the School District of Jefferson community. Digital content published on the Board's website(s) and/or hosted/distributed via District-approved/affiliated apps/services is created to facilitate access to a wide variety of media and educational resources that directly support student achievement, professional development, and organizational effectiveness.

The District strives to deliver a website(s) that is/are adaptive so it/they can be viewed in an optimal manner on all devices

To maximize usability, it is recommended that web content be presented in a simple page design, employ large font sizes and big, touchable buttons that accommodate larger fingers, and place critical information “above the fold."

Color contrast in text. Use sufficient color contrast between the text and the background so individuals with limited vision or color blindness can read text that uses color.
Text cues when using color in text. When using text color to provide information (such as red text to indicate required form fields), include text cues for individuals who cannot perceive the color. For example, include the word “Required” in addition to red text for required form fields.
Text alternatives (“alt text”) in images. Employ text alternatives to convey the purpose of an image, including pictures, illustrations, charts, etc., so individuals who do not see the image, such as people who are blind, can use screen readers to hear the alt text read out loud. Such text should be short and descriptive.
Video captions. Include synchronized captions that are accurate and identify any speakers in the video.
Online forms. When developing forms, be sure to include labels, clear instructions, and keyboard access. The labels will allow individuals who are blind and use screen readers to understand what to do with each form field (e.g., explaining what information goes in each box of a job application form). Additionally, design the form so that individuals who use screen readers are automatically informed when they enter a form field incorrectly. The notice should clearly identify the error and how to resolve it (e.g., an automatic alert tells the user that a date was entered in the wrong format).
Text size and zoom capability. Make sure the web/app design allows for individuals with vision disabilities to use a browser’s/app's zoom capabilities to increase the size of the font so they can see things more clearly.
Headings. When sections of a website/app are separated by visual headings, build the headings into the website’s/app's layout so that individuals who are blind can use them to navigate and understand the layout of the page/app.
Keyboard and mouse navigation. Design the website/app to allow for keyboard access, if applicable (i.e., so users can navigate digital content using keystrokes, rather than a mouse).
Checking for accessibility. While it is appropriate and beneficial to use automated accessibility checkers and overlays to identify or fix problems with how digital content is accessed, pair the use of such automated checkers with a manual check of the website/app to verify its accessibility.
Reporting accessibility issues. Include on the website/app a way for the public to report accessibility problems so the District can fix them.

Additionally, key information such as the District’s name, contact information, and a link to a table of content/site map should be placed on the home page so it is easy to find.

Accessibility of Digital Content and Mobile Apps

The District’s digital content (i.e., web content and District-approved/affiliated mobile apps) must comply and operate in compliance with Federal and State law. As such, the District is committed to providing individuals with disabilities with an opportunity equal to that of persons without disabilities to participate in the District’s programs, services, and activities, benefits, and services, including those delivered through electronic and information technology, except where doing so would impose an undue financial or administrative burden on the District or create a fundamental alteration in the nature of a service, program, or activity. To this end, the District's Digital Accessibility Coordinator is charged with verifying the District’s web content and mobile apps/services allow(s) persons with disabilities to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same benefits and services within the same timeframe as persons without disabilities, with substantially equivalent ease of use, so as not to be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination in any District programs, services, and activities delivered via digital platforms, as required by Federal and State law, and receive effective communication concerning the District's programs, services, and activities, whether delivered in person or online.

The District will measure the functionality and accessibility of its web content and mobile apps according to the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA standards.

In accordance with applicable Federal regulations, the following digital content is exempt from having to meet the WCAG 2.1, Level AA standards:

Archived web content that (a) was created before the compliance date, (b) is kept only for reference, research, or recordkeeping purposes, (c) is maintained in a special archive section on the website, and (d) the content has remained unchanged since being archived.
Pre-existing conventional electronic documents (i.e., word processing, presentation, PDF, and spreadsheet files) that were available before the compliance date and are not currently used for accessing District programs, services, or activities.
Third party posted content that is not created pursuant to a contract, license, or other arrangement between the Board and a third party.
Individualized password-protected or otherwise secured documents pertaining to a specific student, their property, or their account.
Preexisting social media posts.

Even when one (1) of the exceptions applies to specific content, the District still must provide effective communication and reasonable modifications in accordance with the ADA.

With respect to mobile apps provided or made available by the District – e.g., native mobile applications developed by the District, mobile applications provided through vendor contracts, and web-based applications accessed through mobile browsers – they also must meet the WCAG 2.1, Level AA standards. As such, the mobile apps/services must provide: accessible navigation and user interface elements, compatibility with screen readers and assistive technology, appropriate color contrast and text sizing, alternative text for images and icons, accessible form controls and input methods, and audio and video accessibility features.

All new, newly-added, and modified web content and functionality must be accessible to individuals with disabilities, except where doing so would impose a fundamental alteration or undue burden. This provision also applies to the District’s online content and functionality developed by, maintained by, or offered through a third party vendor or through the use of open sources when the content pertains to the District's programs, benefits, and/or services. The Digital Accessibility Coordinator will vet online/digital content available on the District's website(s)/web pages that is related to the District's programs, benefits, and/or services to verify compliance with the requirements of this paragraph.

Nothing in the preceding paragraph, however, shall prevent the District from including links on the District’s website(s)/web pages to recognized news/media outlets (e.g., local newspapers’ websites, local television stations’ websites) or website(s)/web pages that are developed and hosted by outside vendors or organizations that are not part of the District’s program, benefits, and/or services.

When the fundamental alteration or undue burden defense applies, the District will provide equally effective alternate access. In providing an equally effective alternate access, the District will not take any actions that result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of its programs, services, or activities, or an undue financial and administrative burden, but nevertheless provide that, to the maximum extent possible, individuals with disabilities receive the same benefits or services as their nondisabled peers. That said, alternatives are not required to produce the identical result or level of achievement for persons with and without disabilities, but must afford persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to obtain the same result, to gain the same benefit, or to reach the same level of achievement, in the most integrated setting appropriate to the person’s need.

Only the District Administrator, after considering all resources available for use in the funding and operation of the service, program, or activity, may determine whether an undue burden or fundamental alteration defense is applicable. In making such a determination, the District Administrator will document the reasons the conclusion was reached. Additionally, the District Administrator will describe how the District will provide equally effective alternate means of accessing the web content.

The District’s website will include on its home page and throughout the website (including all subordinate pages and sites), a notice to persons with disabilities regarding how to request the webmaster or other appropriate person to provide access to (or notify the District of) content or functionality that is currently inaccessible. The notice will also include information or an accessible link to information instructing individuals with disabilities how to file more formal complaints under Section 504 and/or the ADA.

Students, employees, guests, and visitors can report violations of the technical standards or any accessibility concerns to the Digital Accessibility Coordinator. The District’s website will include on its home page and throughout the website (including all subordinate pages and sites) a Notice to persons with disabilities regarding how to request the webmaster or other appropriate person to provide access to (or notify the District regarding) content or functionality that is currently inaccessible. The Notice will also include information or an accessible link to information instructing individuals with disabilities how to file more formal complaints under Section 504 and/or the ADA.

The Digital Accessibility Coordinator will establish a system to routinely audit/test the accessibility of the District's online/digital content and measure it against the technical standards adopted above. This audit will occur no less than once every two (2) years. This system must include processes to verify claims of accessibility by third party vendors or open sources. The purpose of the audit is to identify any web content or functionality that is inaccessible to persons with disabilities. The person/entity who conducts the audit shall report to the District Administrator and Digital Accessibility Coordinator the results of the audit. If problems are identified, they will be documented, evaluated, and if necessary, remediated within a reasonable period.

The District will provide periodic website accessibility training to all appropriate personnel including, but not limited to: content developers, webmasters, procurement officials, and all others responsible for developing, loading, maintaining, or auditing digital content and functionality. The training will include information concerning this guideline and the employees' respective roles and responsibilities associated with verifying that web design, documents, and multimedia content are accessible. The training will be facilitated by individuals with sufficient knowledge, skill, and experience to understand and employ the technical standards identified above. The District will maintain documentation of the training it delivers, including a list of attendees and their positions, a description of the delivered training content, and the presenter/trainer’s credentials for providing such training.

Individuals responsible for designing, developing, and producing web content are expected to employ universal design principles to create web pages and sites that allow persons with disabilities to access the information and content on the District's website. By following the web content design criteria set forth below, the designers and authors of the District's website(s) can improve the opportunities for persons with disabilities to access the information and content contained on the web pages that make up the District's website(s).

First Page of the Site

The first page of the website should contain:

the index or table of contents for the site;
a school name, address, and phone number;
the webmaster and e-mail address of the person responsible for the site;
a date when the page was last updated or modified;
index.html;
a link to the Board's website;
identification of (or a link to) the Board's agent to receive notification of claimed copyright infringement (including name, mailing address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address).

links to appropriate disclaimers.

Organization of Site Structure

The overall plan or file structure should provide quick access to information and help the user understand how the information is organized. It is recommended that a storyboard be used to plan the website.
Each page should be designed with the audience and goal in mind.
A basic page format should be used, e.g. use the same background, locate navigation tools in the same place on the page, have consistent link appearance, and have consistent font size and type. Be consistent on all pages.
The title bar should include the school name in the "title" tag of each HTML document.
Limit page length, keep the HTML documents as small as possible.
The website may include areas such as staff information, student projects, calendar, school information and mission statement, technology plan, and geographical information.
There should be a "mail to" link that provides a means of feedback on all main pages.

Keep Your Website Current

Pages should be checked regularly to ensure that links are working and meet Board standards. Check to make sure all internal and external links work properly.
Remove expired date-related items.
Maintain and update content by removing unneeded or outdated files.

Grammar and Spelling

All pages should be grammatically correct.
All words should be spelled correctly - web pages should be spell-checked.

Navigation Tools

All pages should include a "back to" main menu in order to provide a link back to the website index or home page, or a "skip to main content" link in the upper left corner that allows users to jump past repetitive navigation options.

Intellectual Property

All website authors must follow all applicable and existing intellectual property laws (copyright and trademark) pertaining to the use of text, images, audio/sounds, and hyperlinks to other websites/pages. (See AG 2531 - Copyrighted Works)
The Board retains proprietary rights to websites/pages hosted on its servers, absent written authorization to the contrary.

Naming Structure

Use all lower-case letters for names of documents and graphics.
Do not use any spaces or other symbols in naming HTML documents or graphics.

Graphics/Video/Audio

Smaller is better, images should be less than 50k.
Pictures need to be in GIF or JPEG format.
Always use width and height tags.
Provide short, simple, and meaningful alternative text for all graphical features. Use the "alt" tag to describe your picture for text-only browsers.
Use GIF format for drawings and line art.
Use JPEG Format for photographic color images.
Re-use graphics when appropriate. When graphics are re-used, they remain in the computer and will load more quickly onto a web page.
Avoid using flashing content, as it may cause seizures in susceptible users.
Provide transcripts, descriptions, or captions for video and audio files to assist persons with visual and hearing disabilities.

HTML Standards

It is reasonable to expect that users will see your page using a variety of browsers, including Google Chrome, Netscape, Microsoft Internet Explorer/Edge, Apple Safari, and Mozilla Firefox. It is recommended that you:

test your web pages on a variety of browsers, including text-only browsers, and at a variety of screen resolutions to confirm the pages look right to the greatest number of users;
check your website on multiple platforms, and test pages on small screens to confirm the pages do not bleed off the screen;
use standard, universally recognized HTML tags - Do not use tags which are specific to one (1) browser;
use HTML syntax checkers to search your site for programming mistakes.

Frames and Special Formats

Do not use frame pages. If you do and you link to external content, make sure you are not infringing on any copyrights associated with the website/page to which you are linking. Additionally, if you use frames, make alternative versions of those pages that persons with disabilities can use. To make them accessible to screen reader devices, add meaningful titles to each frame so user can navigate between them easily.

Provide text-based delivery alternatives for as much information as possible. Do not rely solely on special formats (e.g. Adobe Acrobat) that can be more difficult for text and voice systems to read.

Use of Student Names, Pictures, Original Work, and E-mail Addresses

The Board permits the use of photographs of students, names of students, and displaying original work of students on websites in accordance with the following guidelines:

Identifiable photographs, videos, audio, or likenesses of students and/or students' first names may be placed on the Internet only after the appropriate release form has been acknowledged.
Last names of students and students' e-mail addresses should never be used.
Original work by students, such as art work, poetry, essays, performances, etc., may be placed on the website only after the appropriate release form has been signed by the parents or guardians.

Prohibited Uses

Under no circumstances may a web page hosted on the Board's servers be used for commercial purposes, advertising, political lobbying, or to provide financial gains for any individual. Included in this prohibition is the fact that no web pages contained on the District's website may:

include statements or other items that support or oppose a candidate for public office; the investigation, prosecution, or recall of a public official; or passage of a tax levy or bond issue;
link to a website of another organization if the other website includes such a message;
communicate information that supports or opposes any labor organization or any action by, on behalf of, or against any labor organization;
include defamatory, libelous, obscene, profane, vulgar, or sexually explicit matter, or harassing or abusive language;
promote alcoholic beverages, cigarettes or other tobacco products, or any illegal product, service, or activity;
promote illegal discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, or ancestry;

be utilized to intimidate or bully another person.

Content for the District's Website(s)

All subject matter on web pages must relate to curriculum, instruction, school‑authorized activities, general information, supporting student safety, growth and learning, or public information of interest to community members.

Neither staff nor students may publish on the District's website personal pages or pages for individuals or organizations not directly affiliated with the District.

Website/Page Evaluation

Before releasing or publishing a website/page, the building principal shall conduct a website/page evaluation to assess the following criteria: age appropriateness (appealing and readable); content (relevant, accurate, complete, objective, current, clear and concise, informative, appropriate, links working); intellectual property issues (sources cited; sponsoring organization identified [i.e. class, school, activity]; releases obtained); and format (accessible, navigation, searchable, functional/useable, download speed, pages dated as to creation/updated).

The Digital Accessibility Coordinator will also assess the web pages/site’s accessibility.

Disclaimers

Links to external websites are included if they add information that may aid the user, and are included only as a public service. Every effort is made to verify that the links are educational in nature, and related to the District's educational mission, but the Internet is dynamic and volatile, and web pages can change suddenly and rapidly. It is not unusual to find information or images that are objectionable. Inclusion of a link does not constitute endorsement by the District of that site, or of any third party sites to which it may be linked. The user is advised that once you leave the District's website(s), even through links included on these pages, you may encounter inappropriate, illegal, or inaccurate material. The District is not responsible for the external content, or for any fees associated with the use of an outside site. Proceed at your own risk.

Student Developed Web Pages: "All web pages created by students and student organizations on the District's computer system will be subject to treatment as School-sponsored publications. As such, the District reserves the right to exercise editorial control over such publications in accordance with Policy 5722 – School-Sponsored Publications and Productions."

Domain Name and Copyright: "The District has registered its domain name(s) for the purpose of exclusive Internet identification. The District asserts copyright, trademark, and/or other intellectual property rights in its domain name, District identification, District logo, and all content on the District's website(s). All rights are reserved. Outside parties, including parents, patrons, or outside organizations, may not use District and/or school domain names in connection with the publication of web content. Under no circumstances shall any party use District and/or school domain names to promote political issues, causes, or candidates."

General Disclaimer: "Information provided on the website carries no express or implied warranties as to accuracy, timeliness, or appropriateness for a particular purpose; in addition, the Board disclaims ownership responsibility for content errors, omissions, or infringing material, and disclaims ownership liability for damages associated with user reliance on information provided at the site."

Events: "Visitors rely on information on the website at their own risk. Times and dates are subject to change and spectators or audiences are strongly encouraged to contact the school for the most recent schedule."

Examples of Disabilities and How They Affect People's Abilities to Perceive and Use Websites/Pages:
Visual Disabilities

Blindness – People with no sight typically browse the Internet using voice‑output software or refreshable Braille hardware. Such devices "read" what is on the screen to the user.

Low vision – Individuals who have limited vision may use screen-enlarging software.

Color blindness – To perceive color differences on a computer monitor, individuals with color blindness need high contrast. Also, designers/developers/authors should be mindful of the forms of color blindness when choosing color schemes. Typical color blindness involves the inability to distinguish between red and green, blue and green, or blue and yellow; some people see black and white only.

Auditory Disabilities

Deafness – People who cannot hear experience a website/page only through its text, graphics/images, and video.

Hard of hearing – Individuals with limited hearing may use sound-enhancing peripherals.

Physical/Motor Disabilities

People with physical disabilities or limited fine motor skills may have difficulty with the following computer-related tasks:

Detailed manipulation of input devices such as a mouse or roller ball.
Holding down multiple keyboard keys simultaneously.

Cognitive/Language Disabilities

Typical problems for people who have cognitive disabilities or disabilities that affect their language skills include the following:

Difficulty with spatial reasoning and/or visualization skills.
Difficulty reading and/or understanding written text (e.g. persons with dyslexia).

Persons wanting to learn more about web accessibility standards and guidelines should consult the following Internet sources:

The Access Board (www.access-board.gov) - Federal agency dedicated to accessible design.

World Wide Web Consortium (www.w3.org) – organization developed "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1" and the “Web Accessibility Initiative Accessible Rich Internet Applications Suite (WAI-ARIA) 1.2.”

Staff Information

District web pages shall not contain the following staff information without the explicit written permission of the staff member:

Identifiable photographs, videos, or likenesses of staff other than official school photos
A staff member's personal electronic mail addresses, personal telephone numbers, street addresses, or any other identifying information of a personal nature.

Web pages may contain a staff member's title, work telephone number, work electronic mail address, the building or facility they are employed in, and other work-related information to facilitate communications with parents and other outside correspondents.