Accessibility

Mission

University of Phoenix is committed to ensuring equal access to information for all. We support creating an environment where a person with a disability can acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability, and be able to do so in an equally effective manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use. Our accessibility policy follows established benchmark standards for the accessibility of web-based products and services considered necessary to meet this goal and ensure compliance with applicable state and federal regulations.

University of Phoenix policy

The University will develop, procure, maintain and use information and communication technology that ensure people with disabilities have comparable access to them.

All new or modified online content and functionality, including the education platform features, will be accessible to people with disabilities as measured by conformance to the benchmark standards set forth below, except where doing so would impose a fundamental alteration or undue burden.

In the event of a fundamental alteration or undue burden, the University will nevertheless provide equally effective alternate access. Alternate access will ensure, to the maximum extent possible, that persons with disabilities are afforded an equal opportunity to obtain the same result, to gain the same benefit, or to reach the same level of achievement, in the most integrated setting appropriate to the person’s needs. The University is committed to provide information where you can perceive, operate and understand.

Benchmark standards

University of Phoenix adheres to these universally accepted benchmark standards established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) in meeting accessibility commitments.

W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA
W3C’s Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) 2.0 for software used to create web content; Level AA
W3C’s User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) 1.0 for user agents supplied by the University, including media players

To achieve compliance with these standards, the University will use the following specifications and best practices (among others):

Web Accessibility Initiative Accessible Rich Internet Applications Suite (WAI-ARIA) 1.0
W3C’s MathML 3.0 specification for digital mathematical and scientific notation
The DAISY Consortium’s Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) Standard or the International Digital Publishing Forum’s (IDPF) EPUB 3 specification for digital publications and documents
W3C’s Guidance on Applying WCAG 2.0 to Non-Web Information and Communications Technologies (WCAG2ICT) for non-web software and content

Understanding the four principles of accessibility

The guidelines, put forth by W3C, are organized around the following four principles, which lay the foundation necessary for anyone to access and use web content. Anyone who wants to use the web must have content that is:

Perceivable: Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive that isn't invisible to all of their senses.
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, and remain accessible as technologies and user agents evolve.

Accessibility & Usability Specialists

University of Phoenix designated Accessibility & Usability Specialists within the Disability Services Department to work with Accessibility Leadership to ensure the policies are adopted and supported.

Accessibility & Usability Specialists work in conjunction with the Office of the Provost and Apollo Information Technology. They retain responsibility for monitoring the University’s compliance with accessibility requirements and ensuring University websites and applications are as accessible as possible to the widest range of users using the guidelines found in this policy.

The Accessibility & Usability Specialists shall be responsible for providing guidance to University of Phoenix and its departments on accessibility relative to the requirements of this policy, and training on accessibility as necessary and appropriate. They can be reached at AccessibilitySupport@phoenix.edu.

The Accessibility & Usability Specialist contacts are:

Robert Becker
Robert.Becker@phoenix.edu

Dan Saylor
Dan.Saylor@phoenix.edu

Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

Find your local OCR Office: wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OCR/contactus.cfm

504 Coordinator

Kelly Hermann
4035 South Riverpoint Parkway
Mail Stop CF-S907
Phoenix, AZ 85040
Phone: 602.387.9936
Fax: 602.735.4671
Email: Section.504Coordinator@phoenix.edu

Resolution Agreement

Regarding Assistive Technology

University of Phoenix and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) entered into a Resolution Agreement under which the University reaffirms its commitment to ensure independent and equal access to its programs, benefits and services for all students.

A link to the Resolution Agreement (PDF 310KB) is provided.

Accessibility Services

Starting in September 2019, University of Phoenix will offer Blackboard Ally (video) in the classroom. Ally is an accessibility tool that allows faculty to evaluate the accessibility of documents shared in the classroom and provides alternative formats of those documents for students.

Ally can check several file types, including:

PDF ﬁles
Microsoft® Word ﬁles
Microsoft® PowerPoint® ﬁles
OpenOﬃce/LibreOﬃce ﬁles
Uploaded HTML ﬁles
Image ﬁles (JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BPM, TIFF)
YouTubeTM Videos

Ally automatically creates alternative formats of documents shared in the classroom. The following formats are available for students:

Tagged PDF (structured PDF for improved use with assistive technology)
HTML (for viewing in browser or on mobile devices)
ePub (for reading as an e-book on a tablet or other e-book reader)
Electronic braille (BRF version for consumption on electronic braille displays)
Audio (MP3 version for listening)

These are available by selecting the alternative formats option selecting the ellipsis next to the document’s name and selecting the alternative formats menu option. No special request is needed!

For more information about the alternative formats available to students, please review the alternative formats overview available on the Blackboard help site. In addition, University students, faculty and staff may email accessibilitysupport@phoenix.edu for assistance.

The Accessibility and Disability Services Office can also offer direct assistance, if you need an accessible format, or want to ask for advice on how to make your content accessible.

You can fill out the form on this page if you have accessibility questions about the University or our services. This includes how to make content accessible.

University of Phoenix is pleased to provide this service to its students, faculty and staff.

Need another way to contact us?

Email an Accessibility & Usability Specialist or the University’s Assistive-Technology Technical Assistance Center (TAC). Or call TAC at 866.842.5222.