PS 26 Revised: Policy for Persons with Disabilities
With revisions made on June 27, 2018, followed by further revisions on September 6, 2018, the President officially approved the revisions to PS 26: Policy on Disability Service, Duties, and Compliance as reviewed by the PS 26 Committee, the Faculty Senate Leadership, deans, vice presidents, and the Provost. The revisions included: (1) clarification of procedures for the determination of accommodations and formal complaints for employees, applicants for employment, students, prospective students, and individuals attending LSU-sponsored events; (2) insertion of a new section on the Accessible Information Technology Environment, which provides an explanation of what an accessible IT environment at the university is, the proper procedure for the purchasing of web applications, and the procedure for requesting exemptions from this policy due to an undue hardship; (3) reaffirmation of the right to auxiliary aids and services; and (4) identification of a Title II coordinator.
The update to PS 26 was not only a necessary and timely change to make LSU more inclusive and welcoming to individuals with disabilities, it was also one of the requirements, mandated by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR,) to make LSU’s entire digital presence ADA-compliant. LSU’s digital presence (classroom materials posted online, emails, websites, videos, and other online technologies, such as Moodle) accessible by August 2019. The Online Accessibility Working Group (OAWG) has been diligently working to provide all faculty and staff with resources and training to accomplish this goal, providing constant communication, best practices, faculty fliers, training, and presentations. For more information on LSU’s web accessibility initiative, please visit the LSU Web Support Hub.
The update to PS-26 also emphasizes LSU’s intention to provide auxiliary aids and services to eligible members of the LSU community. For information about auxiliary aids and services, please contact the Office of Disability Services at https://www.lsu.edu/disability/.