UH agrees to resolve web accessibility issues

HOUSTON — The University of Houston (UH) has reached an agreement regarding web accessibility under Title II of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. 

Web accessibility for people with disabilities in higher education is of critical importance, particularly in light of the increased reliance on the use of technology and web-based platforms as an integral part of its educational services, programs, and activities. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office initiated a compliance review in November 2016 to determine whether the school’s website and online course offerings were accessible to individuals with disabilities and in compliance with the ADA. The review evaluated the accessibility of the university’s primary learning management system to ensure students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in programs. Audits uncovered multiple issues inconsistent with ADA accessibility and adversely impact the ability of individuals with disabilities to participate in the UH educational programs, services and activities.

UH is one of the largest schools in Texas. It is a Carnegie-designated tier one university with over 46,000 students. UH fully cooperated with this compliance review and has proactively and voluntarily taken steps to resolve the issues and increase accessibility. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Karpati and Keith Edward Wyatt handled this investigation.