Law & Policy
Legal and institutional requirements define accountability, obligations, and risk for accessibility decisions.
Overview
Accessibility work operates within distinct but related legal and institutional frameworks. Section 504 applies to federally funded programs and activities, ADA Title II applies to state and local public entities, and Section 508 governs federal-agency ICT. UConn policy then operationalizes requirements within its own context.
Why It Matters
Design choices are not only usability decisions; they also sit within higher education equity, procurement, and accountability obligations. These frameworks overlap, but they are not interchangeable.
What to Look For
- Section 504: What nondiscrimination obligations apply to federally funded educational programs and activities?
- ADA Title II: What obligations apply to a public university as a state and local government entity?
- Section 508: What does it require for federal-agency ICT, and how is that different from UConn's context?
- UConn policy: What institutional requirements or procedures do students and teams need to understand in practice?
- What can legal and policy sources establish, and what still requires testing and evaluation?
Standards & Guidance
- Section 504 is relevant to colleges and universities that receive federal financial assistance.
- ADA Title II applies to public universities and now includes specific web and mobile accessibility requirements under the DOJ rule.
- Section 508 directly covers federal-agency ICT, not all non-federal institutions.
- UConn policy and procedures operationalize multiple frameworks and should be read in context, not collapsed into a generic "accessibility law" label.
Authoritative Resources
Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps Provided by State and Local Government Entities
U.S. Department of Justice
Disability Discrimination: Technology Accessibility
U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights
Dear Colleague Letter on Postsecondary Online Accessibility
U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education
Do Section 508 Accessibility Standards Apply to My Website?
Section508.gov / U.S. General Services Administration
Digital Accessibility Policy
UConn
UConnAccessibility Policy Procedures
UConn