Frequently Asked Questions

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• What are Electronic and Information Resources (EIR)?

  Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) are technology used to create, convert, duplicate, store, or deliver data or information (e.g. website content and multimedia). See the full definition at 1 TAC 213.1 (9)

  By Texas law, EIR does not include equipment with embedded information technology integral to the product and without the principal function to acquire, store, manipulate, manage, move, control, display, switch, exchange, transmit or receive data and information. For example, thermostats or temperature control devices, and medical equipment that contain information technology integral to their operation (e.g. x-rays and CT scans), are not information technology.

• What does EIR accessibility or digital accessibility mean?

  Digital accessibility reflects that technology (websites, platforms, electronic tools, etc.) have been designed in a way so that they can be accessed by all users. According to the W3C, accessibility allows people with disabilities to perceive, understand, navigate, interact with and contribute to EIRs.

  The U.S. Department of Education describes technology as “accessible” when, “A person with a disability is afforded the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability in an equally effective and integrated manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use.” When applied to an educational setting, “In order for learners to meaningfully participate in their education, all learners must be able to access and engage with their educational materials.

• Is an accommodation request required to start the accessibility process?

  Accessibility is the baseline for digital communications content. An accommodation request is not required to apply accessibility standards to digital content. Individual requests for accommodations are governed by other University policies. While some accommodations may apply to the digital environment, other accommodations address challenges in physical environments and/or other settings (such as physical testing conditions). 

  For rules related to accommodations, please consider SAM 02.E.09 Reasonable Workplace Accommodations for Employees with Disabilities and SAM 01.D.09 Student Academic Accommodations, or contact your campus ADA Coordinator:

  University	ADA Contact for Student Accommodations	ADA Coordinators for Employee Accommodations
  UH	UH Justin Dart, Jr. Student Accessibility Center 4369 Cougar Village Dr, Room 110 Houston, Texas 77204 713-743-5400  JDCenter@central.uh.edu https://uh.edu/accessibility/	Rebecca Lake, J.D. 713-743-8835 eos@uh.edu
  UHD	UHD Office of Disability Services One Main Street, GSB314 Houston, TX 77002-1001 713-221-5078 disabilityservices@uhd.edu https://www.uhd.edu/sssl/disability	Lauri S. Ruiz, J.D. 713-221-5771 ruizla@uhd.edu
  UHCL	UHCL Accessibility Support Center SSCB 1.302 2700 Bay Area Blvd, Box 258 Houston, TX 77058 281-283-2648 disability@uhcl.edu https://www.uhcl.edu/accessibility-support-center/	David Brittain, J.D. 281-283-2305 titleix@uhcl.edu
  UHV	UHV Office of Disability Services University Commons 2108A 3106 N Ben Wilson Street  Victoria, TX 77901 361-570-4287 DisabilityServices@uhv.edu https://www.uhv.edu/disability-services/	Shelly Frank 361-570-4800 franksl1@uhv.edu

   

• What is the technical standard for accessibility?

  The technical standards for accessibility, as defined by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, mirror the international Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level AA. While WCAG applies to web developer content, its standards have been incorporated in many word processor and content creator applications and tools.

• Who is responsible for providing accessible content?

  Accessibility is a shared responsibility, beginning with content authors. Whether it is created in Microsoft Word, Canvas LMS, or HTML, authors should consider accessibility before sharing to their communities. When the content is curated from an external source, the author should also do their due diligence to select accessible content or remediate. This can be as simple as finding and citing accessibility support information from the original source.

• Who is responsible for supporting accessibility at UH System and its components?

  The System EIR Accessibility Coordinator or EIRAC is responsible for developing and maintaining policies, procedures, guidelines and tools that assist the UH System and its universities to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), ADA Amendments Act of 2008, The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 1 TAC 206, 1 TAC 213, and TGC 2054, Subchapter M, Sections 451-465.

  Please note that each UH System institution has a designated EIRAC who communicates regularly with the UH System EIRAC. Current campus EIRAC contact information is located on the Contact Us page, which also includes information about how to submit an anonymous report.

  If you have a question regarding accessibility, contact the appropriate administrator for the technology in question (i.e. LMS, Peoplesoft, etc.). If the issue cannot be resolved, the appropriate administrator should escalate the concern to the EIRAC for the campus or System. 

• How do I report an accessibility issue?

  If you experience a barrier that affects your ability to access UH System websites, videos, online forms, or other EIR, please send a detailed message to your institution's EIR Accessibility Coordinator (also known as the institution's EIRAC) as shown on the Contact Us page.