Caelin Bragg
Lantern Staff
Butler is currently working towards compliance to Section 508 to make sure all its disabled students have equal access to education.
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federal agencies have all digital tools used by the agencies be accommodating and usable by those with disabilities by January 2018. While Butler is not considered a federal agency and is therefore not required to comply, Butler administration is still working to comply on its own terms.
“Basically, it requires all electronic documents, websites, video and social media be created and maintained by federal agencies so that they are accessible to all individuals,” Vice President of Academics Lori Winningham said.
While it is expected for Canvas related materials be in compliance with Section 508 within the next three to five years, work has been underway to make sure Butler’s webpage is in compliance by the January 2018 deadline.
To non-disabled students attending Butler, Winningham said the adjustments that need to be made will not cause drastic changes to how Butler classes currently operate.
“Changes will not be ‘sweeping,’” Winningham said. “Changes within Canvas to electronic materials will include utilizing specified fonts, font sizes, colors, transcribing videos, closed caption videos and other requirements as needed to make materials accessible by everyone.”
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act already requires Butler to be accommodating to disabled individuals in aspects not related to access to digital tools. Butler currently accommodates over 250 students across all its campuses, with an average 20 per day being seen at the Disability Services office.
“Our classrooms are changing,” Director of Disability Services Teressa Eastman said. “We are no longer just a brick and mortar institution–our classrooms stretch across the globe. We would not expect a student with a disability to call ahead to make sure we have a ramp so they can get to class, nor should we expect a deaf student taking history in Florida to call ahead and make sure her videos are captioned. It is about civil rights.”
Controversy has surrounded this adherence to Section 508, with some faculty members feeling that they are not qualified to handle these responsibilities, but Winningham hopes to work with faculty to make sure the process goes smoothly for all.
“Butler Community College is committed to the learning goals of all students that enter our doors,” Winningham said. “As with any changes that happen over time, new systems, processes and even the roles filled by faculty and staff change. I believe that working together, we can develop a plan that will make this happen in a reasonable, manageable and realistic fashion.”
