Not all Information and Communications Technology (ICT) utilized for the mission of the University is eligible for an accessibility exception. This is due to the variable use and nature of the ICT and the impact of any accessibility issues. There are four general exception categories:

• Situations where exceptions will not be granted
• Situations where exceptions may be granted
• Situations where exceptions are typically granted
• Situations where exceptions are automatically granted

In order to assist individuals and units on campus when considering whether or not to apply for an accessibility exception request, each category is described below, along with some examples of ICT. This list of examples is not exhaustive.

Important: In most instances, an accessible method of alternative access must be implemented for excepted ICT. Accessibility Exception Requests must be accompanied by a plan for alternative access or a rationale for why such a plan is not possible.

Situations Where Exceptions Will Not Be Granted

ICT in this category is high-profile, mandatory, or otherwise utilized in a way where inaccessibility has a very high impact and would be considered discriminatory, such as failing to provide accessible classroom materials. Accessibility issues for ICT in this category will prevent individuals with disabilities from successfully performing necessary work tasks, participating fully in courses, or engaging in University services.

Examples of ICT in this category include:

• Mandatory classroom materials where a student with a registered disability is enrolled. Examples include:
  • Syllabus
  • Handouts
  • Presentations
  • Multimedia (except in situations where captions, audio-descriptions, and transcripts may not be created)
• Web sites intended for unit-wide, campus-wide or public use
• Electronic documents, such as PDFs, for wide distribution

Situations Where Exceptions May Be Granted

ICT in this category is utilized in a way where inaccessibility will not prevent someone from engaging fully in the mission of the University or where it is not possible to implement a more accessible solution.

Examples of ICT in this category include:

• Multimedia, where it is not possible to create captions, audio descriptions, or transcripts
• Software or hardware required for staff, faculty or student use, or that is elective but features prominently in the classroom experience, where its intended use or nature does not allow for accessibility
• ICT for optional classroom use
• ICT with limited availability, such as special-purpose software used by a few administrative personnel
• Web applications intended for unit-wide, campus-wide or public use, where full accessibility is not possible for technical reasons
• Instances where a more accessible alternative is not available

Situations Where Exceptions Are Typically Granted

ICT in this category carries a low accessibility impact or is of a legacy nature with limited use. It is possible that such EIT may need to be made accessible upon request.

Examples of ICT in this category include:

• Legacy ICT, such as library multimedia collections with minimal circulation, archived and low-use materials or non-public web sites

Situations Where Exceptions Are Automatically Granted

ICT in this category carries a low accessibility impact due to the nature of its use and very limited exposure. ICT in this category must be reviewed if the use or exposure changes.

Examples of ICT in this category include:

• ICT for internal use on a research project where no individuals with a disability are part of the research team and no research participants will be adversely affected by accessibility flaws in the technology product.
• ICT for special purpose use or by a small number of individuals where it is known that no one with a disability will be adversely affected by any accessibility flaws in the product.