Accessibility Statement
We want everyone who visits the Western School District website to feel welcome and find the experience rewarding.
What are we doing?
To help us make the Western School District website a positive place for everyone, we've been using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities, and user friendly for everyone.
The guidelines have three levels of accessibility (A, AA and AAA). We’ve chosen Level AA as the target for the Western School District website.
How are we doing?
We're working hard to achieve our goal of Level AA accessibility, but we realize there are some areas that still need improving.
Let us know what you think
If you had trouble using any part of the Western School District website, please get in touch. We'd like to hear from you in any of the following ways:
Please use this form to communicate possible accessibility concerns with the Western School District website.
Board Bolicy for Website Accessibility (7540.02)
The District is committed to providing persons with disabilities an opportunity equal to that of persons without disabilities to participate in the District’s programs, benefits, and services, including those delivered through electronic and information technology, except where doing so would impose an undue burden or create a fundamental alteration. The District is further committed to ensuring persons with disabilities are able to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same benefits and services within the same timeframe as persons without a disability, with substantially equivalent ease of use; that they are not excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination in any District programs, services, and activities delivered online, as required by Section 504 and Title II of the ADA and their implementing regulations; and that they receive effective communication of the District’s programs, services, and activities delivered online.
The District adopts this policy to fulfill this commitment and affirm its intention to comply with the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. Section 794, 34 C.F.R. Part 104, and Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. Section 12131 and 28 C.F.R. Part 35 in all respects.
Technical Standards
The District will adhere to the technical standards of compliance. The District measures the accessibility of online content and functionality according to the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, and the Web Accessibility Initiative - Accessible Rich Internet Applications Suite (WAI-ARIA 1.1) for web content.
Web Accessibility Coordinator
The Board designates its Technology Director as the District's Web Accessibility Coordinator(s). That individual(s) is responsible for coordinating and implementing this policy. The District’s Web Accessibility Coordinator(s) can be reached at:
David Hood
Director of Instructional Technology
400 S. Dearing Road Parma, MI 49289
david.hood@wsdpanthers.org
517-841-8876
Third Party Content
Links included on the Board’s website(s) or web services and apps that pertain to its programs, benefits and/or services must also meet the above criteria and comply with State and Federal law (e.g. copyright laws, CIPA, Section 504, ADA, SOPPA and COPPA). While the District strives to provide access through its website to online content provided or developed by third parties (including vendors, video-sharing websites, and other sources of online content) that is in an accessible format, that is not always feasible. The District's administrators and staff, however, are aware of this requirement with respect to the selection of online content provided to students. The District's Web Accessibility Coordinator or his/her designees will vet online content available on its website that is related to the District’s programs, benefits and/or services for compliance with this criteria for all new content placed on the District's website after adoption of this policy.
Nothing in the preceding paragraph, however, shall prevent the District from including links on the Board’s website(s) to:
a. recognized news/media outlets (e.g., local newspapers' websites, local television stations' websites), or
b. websites, services and/or apps that are developed and hosted by outside vendors or organizations that are not part of the District’s program, benefits, or services.
The Board recognizes that such third party websites may not contain age-appropriate advertisements that are consistent with the requirements of Policy 9700.01, AG 9700B, and State and Federal law.
4. Regular Audits
The District, under the direction of the Web Accessibility Coordinator(s) or his/her/their designees, will, at regular intervals, audit the District's online content and measure this content against the technical standards adopted above.
If problems are identified through the audit, such problems will be documented, evaluated, and, if necessary, remediated within a reasonable period of time.
5. Reporting Concerns or Possible Violations
If any student, prospective student, employee, guest, or visitor believes that the District has violated the technical standards in its online content, s/he may contact the Web Accessibility Coordinator with any accessibility concerns. S/he may also file a formal complaint utilizing the procedures set out in Board Policy 2260 and Policy 2260.01 relating n 504 and Title II.
Policy number 7540.02