Bringing Sites Into Compliance & Exceptions

Site Owner Responsibilities

Websites and applications created or revised after September 1, 2018 should be accessible. Websites created before that date should be accessible at their next redesign or revision. In either case, consult Yale’s guidance on accessibility for new projects. Additionally, the Accessibility Steering Committee may identify websites to be made accessible. On notification from the committee, site owners must make plans to ensure accessibility.

Owners of sites or applications should develop roadmaps to resolve known accessibility issues. These roadmaps should track issues with a reasonable date for their resolution. Roadmaps may document intermediate steps, such as training staff or working with vendors. Roadmaps should prioritize issues based on impact to users’ ease of resolution. Yale ITS can consult with site owners to make such roadmaps.

While site owners may lack technical expertise to make sites accessible, they are responsible for holding accountable those who work on their sites.

Externally-Provided Sites & Applications

External suppliers may maintain, upgrade, or update sites and applications for site owners. For such sites, owners should add accessibility requirements when renewing their contracts. Yale provides support when working with vendors:

External suppliers may not be able to meet accessibility requirements immediately. Site owners should ask those suppliers to document their plans and timelines to the site or application accessible. These plans may be documented in a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template.

Exceptions

In rare cases, accessibility compliance may be technically impossible or need extraordinary measures. In these cases, site owners may request an exception. Insufficient funding is not a valid reason for an exception. Site owners who request an exception should also plan how they will accommodate users with disabilities. To submit an exception request:

Sites or applications given an exception should still be made accessible as soon as possible.