Accessibility @ SMC

Accessibility is important to Saint Mary’s College and the community it serves.  

Campus Accessibility

Accessibility Map shows parking, ramps, and elevators throughout the campus.

  • Request for assistance including captioning or interpreters for campus events can be made to the Student Disability Services Office at (925) 631-4358.
  • Evacuation chairs are located on the highest level stairs landing in the following buildings:  Dante Hall, Garaventa Hall, St. Albert Hall Library, Brousse Hall and Galileo Hall.
  • All departments are encouraged to add the following verbiage to their website, along with a request to add this verbiage to all SMC-sponsored events: Saint Mary's College of California is committed to making our events accessible to everyone. If you require an accommodation or service to fully participate, please contact sds@xyschool.net prior to the event."

 

Electronic Accessibility 

We look to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines WCAG 2.0 level AA for direction, and we use POUR standards (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust) to determine accessibility. To evaluate web based products and classroom software for accessibility, we:

  • Apply the WAVE toolbar from www.webaim.org to search for errors in the HTML and Javascript code and to identify missing/problematic alt tags in images, disassociated labels/radio buttons,  and to point out where contrast ratio issues exist between text and background colors
  • Test to determine if the product and/or site is navigable without a mouse
  • Ensure that the product and/or site information is perceivable and usable without sound
  • Check for product and/or site for compatibility with screen reader such as JAWS

Products and sites that will be used on a mobile device must also be navigable with VoiceOver on iOS devices in addition to meeting WCAG 2.0 level AA.

 

Resources/Training

 

DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunity, Internetworking and Technology)

Training videos for faculty and staff to learn about the "how to" of accessibility

 

WEBAIM

Consult this easy to follow guide for making documents accessible.  

 

Top 5 Tips for Faculty 

Here are a few ways faculty can start building an inclusive and accessible environment for all students:

  • Consider distributing in-class materials in advance.
  • Face the classroom when speaking.
  • Consider the contrast of the text & background.
  • Ensure videos shown in class and assigned outside of class are captioned.  
    • For assistance with captioning, contact the SDS office.
  • Use 12 pt or larger fonts in documents, websites, etc.
    • Sans serif typefaces such Arial or Calibri are generally considered more legible when larger font sizes are used

 

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