Research Guides @ Fordham: Web Accessibility at Fordham University Libraries: Background Information

The Importance of Accessibility

This page covers background information on disability and accessibility through:

Statistics;
Civil rights legislation;
International standards to support web accessibility;
General resources for designers on web accessibility;
Organizations providing resources, reports, advocacy and more on behalf of college students with disabilities.

For additional background information, try the Disability Studies research guide.

Statistics on Disability

Disability Statistics
Online tool aggregating information from a variety of U.S. government sources including the American Community Survey, Decennial Census for Population and Housing, Annual Disability Status Reports, and more. Developed by the Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability at Cornell University.
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
Primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education. Search for statistics and reports on disability through the search box on the top right side of their page.
Data and Statistics on Disability and Health
Compilation of disability statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Disability Datasets section explains population surveys in the U.S. collecting disability information and provides links to specific datasets.
United Nations Disability Statistics Data Portal
Contains data and metadata on disability from official statistics compiled from national population and housing census, household surveys, and some administrative data from UN member states.

U.S. Legislation & Government Agencies

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Civil rights legislation passed in 1990 prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities from any program or activity receiving Federal funding and establishes the rights of students with disabilities to reasonable accommodations in public and private schools.
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in 1998 to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities.
Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act (MTIA) - Copyright Resources
The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled, was adopted on June 27, 2013 by the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Ratified by the U.S. in 2019, this act creates limitations and exceptions to copyright law to enable people with disabilities to access printed works in accessible formats. Link provides more information on our Copyright Resources guide.
United States Access Board
A federal agency that promotes equality for people with disabilities through leadership in accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards for the built environment, transportation, communication, medical diagnostic equipment, and information technology.

Organizations

The following selection of organizations provide resources, reports, advocacy and more on behalf of college students with disabilities.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are international standards managed and developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Through a cooperative process with individuals and organizations around the world, this organization provides a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments in serving people with disabilities.