The Marcus Whitman CSD is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website and official online presence for students, parents, and members of the community with disabilities. All pages on the Marcus Whitman CSD website will conform to the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative’s (WAI) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level AA conformance, or updated equivalents of these guidelines.

The Superintendent or designee is directed to establish procedures whereby students, parents, and members of the public may present a complaint regarding a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 and Title II related to the accessibility of any official District web presence which is developed by, maintained by, or offered through the District or third party vendors and open sources.

Website Accessibility

With regard to the Marcus Whitman CSD website and any official Marcus Whitman CSD web presence which is developed by, maintained by, or offered by the District,  Marcus Whitman CSD is committed to compliance with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 and Title II so that students, parents and members of the public with disabilities are able to independently acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same benefits and services within the same timeframe as those without disabilities, with substantially equivalent ease of use; and that they are not excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination in any Marcus Whitman CSD programs, services, and activities delivered online.

All existing web content produced by the Marcus Whitman CSD, and new, or updated content will conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level AA conformance, or updated equivalents.

Notification

A notification of the District’s online accessibility policy statement and contact information for any concerns shall be posted on the District website and other official areas of online presence, ex, Facebook or Twitter page.

Online Accessibility Officer

The District Superintendent is the Online Accessibility Officer (OAO). He/she will coordinate accessibility efforts and respond to complaints.  While compliance with regulations for online accessibility fall under general compliance regulations already covered by the District’s Title IX/Section 504/ADA Compliance and our Civil Rights Compliance Officer,  The Superintendent shall work in conjunction with the other officers to resolve any complaints.

Online Accessibility Compliance Review

Online websites and tools provided by Marcus Whitman CSD shall be tested and reviewed for compliance with current standards at minimum once a year.  Testing should be completed by a third-party organization or by users with disabilities to ensure the most authentic test possible. Throughout the year, any complaints should be taken as an opportunity to make updates to all affected areas when an issue is discovered, not just to address the specific complaint.

Website Accessibility Concerns, Complaints and Grievances

A student, parent or member of the public who wishes to submit a complaint or grievance regarding a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 or Title II related to the accessibility of any official Marcus Whitman CSD web presence that is developed by, maintained by, or offered through the Marcus Whitman CSD, may complain directly to a school administrator, or the District webmaster. The initial complaint or grievance should be made via email to webmaster@mwcsd.org, a verbal complaint to 585-554-4848 ext. 1805. When a complaint is received staff shall immediately inform the Online Accessibility Officer. 

Whether or not a formal complaint or grievance is made, once the Marcus Whitman CSD has been notified of inaccessible content, effective communication shall be provided as soon as possible to the reporting party to provide access to the information. The Complainant should not have to wait for the investigation of the complaint to be concluded before receiving the information that he/she was unsuccessful in accessing.

The formal ADA non-compliance complaint should include the following:

• Name
• Address
• Date of the Complaint
• Description of the problem encountered
• Web address or location of the problem page
• Solution desired
• Contact information in case more details are needed (email and phone number)

NYS Office of Technology Policy NYS-P08-005 “Accessibility of Web-Based Information and Applications”

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended 29 USC § 794 (d), Subpart B, section 1194.22 and Subpart C, section 1194.31.