Web Accessibility and 508 Compliance

Bowling Green State University is committed to being a fully accessible community in which students, staff, faculty, alumni and visitors to campus, regardless of abilities, are valued and empowered to participate. We will fulfill the responsibility:

to guarantee a nondiscriminatory campus for individuals with disabilities
to continually improve the educational, working, physical and social environment to meet the needs of those with diverse abilities
to integrate all users into the community
to promote accessible design that maximizes the benefits for everyone.

Bowling Green State University seeks to contribute to the global project of building more inclusive communities.

What is Accessibility?

Accessibility focuses on how a user with disabilities can access or benefit from a product, device or service. Some users have to use assistive technologies that make these things accessible for them. Users with disabilities can’t access any products, devices and services if their disabilities are not taken into consideration.

Web accessibility

Web accessibility focuses on designing and developing websites that are more accessible to people with disabilities. Websites that have applied the necessary accessibility principles can provide more accessible content.

Accessibility and usability have overlapping principles. Even though it seems as if they both are accomplishing the same goal, there is actually a difference between these two aspects of technology.

Accessibility focuses on creating more accessible web content for people with disabilities. Usability, at the same time, focuses on the general user experience, which covers all users, including users with disabilities.

Why is it Important?

Web accessibility and 508 compliance are important because they:

provide equal access and opportunity for everyone
help everyone participate in society
are required by laws and policies, which prevents unnecessarry lawsuits
benefit people without disabilities

BGSU has updated its web accessibility Technical Guidelines to WCAG 2.0 AA. BGSU departments and employees are asked to update their web pages and online course materials used to conduct university business or academic activities to a minimum conformance level of AA.

Resources, training, and guidance are provided to be used to update university web content.

Report Accessibility Issues

We are committed to making our website accessible to people with disabilities. If you come across an issue, please fill out the form.

Need a PDF remediated? Contact marketing@bgsu.edu

This website was created as a resource for website and content owners, web developers, assistive technology users and anyone else who wants to make sure that online information and tools are accessible to all members of the Bowling Green State University community, regardless of disability.

Updated: 11/13/2024 03:19PM