Policy on Digital Accessibility

April 2023

Princeton University is committed to providing access to all individuals under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and applicable state laws.  The University’s compliance with applicable disability laws is implemented in the context of the University’s Policy on Disability and Accessibility and the broader Policy on Discrimination and/or Harassment and its accompanying FAQs

The University is committed to taking reasonable measures to support the accessibility of its digital resources.  Consistent with this commitment, this policy provides guidance and best practices for University academic and administrative units to enhance the accessibility of these media.

The level of access afforded may depend on a number of factors, including the nature of the request, the type of content sought to be made accessible, the user’s affiliation with the University (e.g., enrolled student versus patron), the individual’s disability, possible accommodation alternatives and the resources that may be available to address the need.

This policy applies to University digital technology broadly used by students, employees and/or the public to carry out or participate in core educational or administrative activities of the University.  Individual webpages published by students, employees or non-university organizations that are within the University’s domain but do not conduct core University-related business are outside the scope of this policy.

I.        The University’s ADA/Section 504 Coordinator

The Vice Provost for Institutional Equity and Diversity in the Office of the Provost is responsible for coordinating the University’s compliance with the ADA and Section 504, and serves as the University ADA and Section 504 Coordinator (“University Coordinator”).  In this capacity, the University Coordinator, or a designee as appropriate, partners with the Office of Information Technology to promote digital accessibility for University constituents, campus visitors and other users of its digital resources.

The University Coordinator’s contact information is as follows:

Michele Minter
Vice Provost for Institutional Equity and Diversity
204B Nassau Hall
Princeton, New Jersey 08544
609-258-6110
[email protected]

The Office of Information Technology’s contact information is as follows:

Daren Hubbard
Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
245A 701 Carnegie Center
Princeton, New Jersey 08540
609-258-5601
[email protected]

II.       Definitions

Accessibility:   The concept that an individual with a disability is able to independently access and use a product or system, including with the help of assistive technologies.  

Accommodation:  A modification or provision made for an individual with a disability to provide access or enable them to perform the essential functions of a role.  The University provides reasonable accommodations in a timely manner to individuals with disabilities, unless providing the accommodation would fundamentally alter the nature of the goods, services or operations of the University or would result in an undue burden (i.e., a significant difficulty or expense).

III.      Requesting an Accommodation

If academic and administrative units undertake the initiative to promote digital accessibility, ideally individuals with disabilities will not typically need to seek alternate access.  However, with preexisting websites, the University encourages units to post information on their homepages directing users to the Office of Information Technology where accessibility requests can be made.

Students or employees may request reasonable accommodations.  For information regarding the process for requesting accommodations, see the Policy on Disability and Accessibility. Units should include the Accessibility link on their website for people with disabilities who encounter a barrier on a website to request assistance.

IV.       Digital Accessibility Guidance for Academic and Administrative Units

Academic and administrative units conducting core educational or administrative activities are required to align websites and other information technology with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA to promote digital accessibility for students, employees and/or the public.  Units seeking information, assistance and/or training regarding digital accessibility should consult the Digital Accessibility website.

Guidelines for University units on website accessibility, managing multimedia content, managing legacy content (i.e., content published prior to 2017), purchasing accessible information technology (IT) products, and accessible use of social media can be found below.

Academic and administrative units are encouraged to participate in ongoing training efforts to learn how to create accessible websites and web content, convert documents and presentations to accessible formats, and promote accessible instruction.  To learn more about these opportunities, visit the Employee Learning Center.

V.        Related Policies and Guidelines

Additional policies and guidelines related to this policy are listed below:

VI.       Additional Contacts

Digital Accessibility
[email protected]

OIT Service Desk
609-258-4357 (8-HELP)
[email protected]