[Wsssc] Fw: Highlights of ctcLink Accessibility from DSSC

Wed Mar 24 17:33:33 PDT 2021

Hello WSSSC-

Please see the additional information regarding the update that DSSC reps, Megan Jasurda and Marisa Hackett, provided at our last WSSSC meeting.

Best,

Sue

Sue Orchard, PsyD
Vice President of Student Services
Title IX Deputy Coordinator
Lower Columbia College
360.442.2301
sorchard at lowercolumbia.edu<https://mail.lowercolumbia.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=LEIb0blcmelI_s4gVY4aQh98gIpiR31VUcZoS3Uh6zaWHBVVwR_UCA..&URL=mailto%3asorchard%40lowercolumbia.edu>
She/her/hers pronouns
________________________________
From: Jasurda, Megan <MJasurda at clark.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 9:49 AM
To: Orchard, Sue; Taga, Brendon
Cc: DSSC Board 2020-21
Subject: Highlights of ctcLink Accessibility from DSSC

Hello Sue and Brendon,

Sorry it took two weeks but here are the notes our share out to WSSSC on ctcLink accessibility. We also wanted to add a few key points from the longer notes.

Key Points:

  *   ctcLink is still inaccessible for assistive tech and screen reader users (still far from complaint per Section 508<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.section508.gov%2Fmanage%2Flaws-and-policies&data=04%7C01%7Cmarisa.hackett%40bellevuecollege.edu%7Cb349aa88d8b94939250c08d8eedf7544%7Cf94c251c1347422eb3ea8ac56befd6cb%7C0%7C0%7C637521990807280401%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=ISeUZ9LVTukDqed%2BT7G83TpDNFJFZxhOzBML66dHa5c%3D&reserved=0> and the standards the WCAG<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2FTR%2FWCAG20%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cmarisa.hackett%40bellevuecollege.edu%7Cb349aa88d8b94939250c08d8eedf7544%7Cf94c251c1347422eb3ea8ac56befd6cb%7C0%7C0%7C637521990807290393%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=%2Fl7%2FoWaoMSoG47olEGdNFjX2w5te9xXkfq%2FeU3yiHnA%3D&reserved=0> standards 508 calls for.)

     *   student impact is inability to access the system in the same way non-disabled students can
     *   Staff impact is that screen reader users cannot do their jobs

  *   stay tuned for updated information on Online Admissions Application Portal (OAAP) accessibility. One update from the afternoon of 3/11/21 (shortly after we all met) Sandy Main from SBCTC share the widget was removed and they believed they made some additional accessibility improvements. We are waiting on folks to verify the fixes.
  *   DSSC members are feeling exhausted and burnt out on this issue
  *   Asks:

     *   Please check in with your disability services director/ manager and ask what they need
     *   WSSSC advocate up to Presidents as a group and individually on your campuses
     *   More opportunities for DSSC Board to speak to WSSSC and give updates

Notes:

Shared at WSSSC on 3/11/21 by DSSC President Megan Jasurda, Clark College and DSSC Past President Marisa Hackett, Bellevue College for Disability Support Services Council (DSSC).

Highlights of ctcLink & Accessibility

  *   We are representing the DSSC council with these updates and the request for support, this is beyond just Megan at Clark and Marisa and Bellevue.
  *   Summary of accessibility of ctcLink:

     *   DSS professionals and DSSC have been advocating for several years regarding the inaccessibility of our People Soft product/ ctcLink; including sending tickets since the pilot colleges went live and accessibility reports showing noncompliance.
     *   ctcLink remains far from compliant per the Federal Section 508, which calls for WCAG 2.0 AA guidelines, we are not close, there has not been major improvements since colleges have deployed until now. There have been some minor fixes but it has not moved the needle significantly.
     *   We do not have a clear commitment or timelines when this will be remedied, not even something like-- a year from now a particular section or one of the three pillars will be fully compliant, etc.
     *   The Highpoint app called ctcLink mobile provides some hope as it is an accessible, fully compliant experience for students to do some self-service tasks such as search for and register for courses.  Students cannot do everything but can do somethings; in that regards, it is not equity.  The ctcLink mobile compares to if your beautiful campus had one building that a group of students with disabilities could only access and engage with and these students couldn’t do all of your programs and activities but a few things.

  *   Student Impacts: Students who can’t engage due to the system being inaccessible, can’t get the same 24/7 access that a non-disabled student can get with People Soft (PS).  Students with disabilities who need help due to inaccessibility have to contact a staff person asking for help, set up a time to get sighted assistance, and this is not equivalent access.
  *   Staff Impacts: this also impacts employees to be able to perform the function of their jobs and have an equitable work environment.
  *   SBCTC is sending reps to the DSSC meetings now to discuss accessibility of ctcLink and Grant Rodeheaver and Sandy Main attended Fall 2020 and Winter 2021 meetings.
  *   When Grant Rodeheaver from SBCTC was asked at our Winter DSSC mtg, where will ctcLink be a year from now with accessibility? He could not answer, he said they did not know and honestly couldn’t make any promises.
  *   Our liability increases the more colleges that go live.
  *   DSSC Board has recommended, (during Fall & Winter DSSC meetings), to SBCTC reps that they try to hold Oracle accountable and make requests of them to remedy to compliance, yet we are unsure that work has begun?
  *   OAAP:  the new Online Admissions Application Portal rolled out with poor accessibility in early February; seems worse than the State Board thought it would be. Accessibility feedback was sent to SBCTC and last week DSSC and IT/CATO reps had a meeting with Sandy Main from SBCTC, shortly after that meeting Sandy was able to get a commitment to remove the “accessibility widget” and it will be removed in the next update from what we understand. We do not have an exact timeline. There are still some remaining accessibility issues to get to compliance but removing the widget will be an improvement. A couple examples of accessibility issues shared in a list to SBCTC are: the password and confirm button missing form labels and an image which contains text in it. We have more optimism in the improvements of the OAAP compared to PeopleSoft/ctcLink, seems Sandy’s team was confident that they could do more fixes and are already or about to engage with the vendor Level Access to work towards them.
  *   3 Asks for WSSSC:

     *   Ask your DSS offices how you can support them and how they are doing with this barrier to ctcLink not being fully accessible.
     *   Assess what WSSSC can do to advocate this up?
     *   Can DSSC Board reps attend WSSC more to give accessibility updates?

  *   SBCTC is hiring a Policy Associate position in Accessibility which may help SBCTC preventing more of this situation of inaccessible product procurement in the long-term.

Megan Jasurda, DSSC President, Director of Disability Support Services @ Clark College

Marisa Hackett, DSSC Past President, Director of Disability Resource Center @ Bellevue College