Medgar Evers College Digital Accessibility Statement

Medgar Evers College Digital Accessibility Statement

Medgar Evers College Digital Accessibility Statement

Overview

In accordance with City University of New York (“CUNY”) policy, Medgar Evers College (MEC) is committed to ensuring digital access and full participation for all members of our community, including individuals with disabilities. We recognize the importance of digital accessibility and strive to provide an equitable online experience for students, faculty, staff, visitors, and the broader public. MEC is committed to ensuring that all digital content—whether created, developed, used, or acquired—is accessible to individuals with disabilities, including those utilizing assistive technologies. Furthermore, MEC encourages all members of the campus community to actively participate in maintaining compliance, recognizing that achieving universal accessibility is a collaborative effort across the university.

In accordance with applicable laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA, and CUNY policies, MEC is dedicated to making all digital content accessible and usable by everyone. We foster a culture of accessibility, proactive compliance, and continuous improvement.

Entities Impacted by Policy

This policy applies to all digital content generated, managed, or used by MEC, including but not limited to:

  • College websites and web pages
  • Online learning platforms and course materials
  • Electronic documents, forms, and communications
  • Multimedia content such as videos, images, and audio recordings
  • Third-party vendors providing digital content or services on behalf of the College

Definitions

  • Digital Content: Any information communicated electronically by the College, including websites, documents, multimedia, emails, and online services.
  • Accessible: Digital content that can be perceived, operated, understood, and navigated by all users, including those with disabilities, using assistive technologies such as screen readers, magnifiers, or alternative input devices.
  • Legacy Content: Digital content created before the adoption of WCAG 2.1 standards that may require review and remediation to meet current accessibility standards.

Guidelines and Standards

All digital content generated by or used by any of the aforementioned impacted entities shall follow the WCAG 2.0, Level AA, which is organized into four key principles:

  • Perceivable: Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.
  • Operable: User interface components and navigation must be operable.
  • Understandable: Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable.
  • Robust: Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.

MEC adheres to the following standards to ensure accessibility:

  • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA
  • Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
  • Best practices for universal design, including:
    • Use of clear and consistent navigation
    • Sufficient color contrast and text sizing
    • Alternative text for images and multimedia
    • Captioning and transcripts for videos
    • Keyboard navigation and control
    • Clear, simple language and instructions
    • Use of headers, labels, and logical structure

Exceptions

This policy does not apply to digital content that is created solely for the following purposes:

  • Content produced by students, faculty, staff, or College departments and offices intended for personal use or internal purposes not related to College operations;
  • Materials created by students for academic work, unless required by classroom or research accommodations;
  • Content produced for accreditation purposes (such as reports to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education) or for legal requirements (such as those from CUNY or the State of New York);
  • Materials created by faculty or staff for distribution exclusively in physical form, such as printed documents.

Implementation Schedule

  • All new digital content must comply with WCAG 2.1 AA standards immediately upon creation.
  • Existing digital content created before September 1, 2019, was reviewed and made accessible by July 1, 2020.
  • Legacy digital content will be made accessible upon request or as part of ongoing review processes.

Reporting an Issue 

If you experience difficulty accessing content on the MEC website or digital platforms, or believe content is not accessible, please contact us.

We will work promptly to resolve the issue and provide accessible content or accommodations.

Continuous Improvement

Accessibility is an ongoing process. MEC regularly reviews and updates digital content to enhance access and usability. Community feedback is welcome and appreciated to help us improve our digital environment.

Additional Information and Resources

Contacts

Mark Anthony Phifer, Coordinator
Aphifer@mec.cuny.edu

Mea Kemp, Disability Accommodations Specialist
Meak@mec.cuny.edu

Lance Houston, J.D., LL.M.,Chief Diversity Officer and Title IX Coordinator
Lance.houston16@mec.cuny.edu

Nicholas Masuda, Associate Director, Marketing & Website Content/CCAR
nicholas.masuda31@mec.cuny.edu