CI Docs Accessibility

Overview

CI Docs, powered by Google Apps, offers a lot of potential to CI students, faculty and staff because of its ability to facilitate collaboration. However, Google has not built in the necessary accessibility features to allow all users, especially people with certain functional impairments, to easily collaborate in this environment.

While Information Technology Services supports the use of CI Docs for collaborative authoring of information, care must be exercised to ensure accessibility of content created in CI Docs. 

These issues must be kept in mind when reading these guidelines:

  1. These guidelines refer to the appropriateness of using CI Docs strictly from an accessibility perspective. Other issues may need to be considered such as security and privacy of content stored in CI Docs, which are beyond the scope of these guidelines.

  2. These guidelines do not cover the use of any of Google Apps or Google Apps extensions not supported by CSU Channel Islands, such as any consumer version of the apps offered by Google or its affiliates and accessed outside of CI Docs.

  3. Google constantly updates the Google Apps application suite with improvements and new features. The information in this site is kept as up-to-date as possible. If you believe some of the information needs to be updated please contact the IT Solution Center.

Personal Use of CI Docs

There is no limitation on use of CI Docs for personal use, from taking notes to preparing course materials. The limitations begin when the content in CI Docs is shared with others or when requiring others to participate in an activity within CI Docs.

General Rules About Sharing CI Docs Content With Others

  • When appropriate, converting content to a Microsoft Office document format and using it offline usually creates the most accessible version of the content, although the document author may need to take extra steps to add in the necessary accessibility information.
  • Publishing directly to a static HTML format from within CI Docs does not necessarily create a more accessible version of your content.
  • PDF files created directly from within CI Docs will have significant accessibility problems. Instead, these documents should be converted first to the closest equivalent Microsoft Office document format, and then adjusted for accessibility, and distributed in the equivalent Microsoft Office document format, or converted to PDF from within Microsoft Office.

Usage Guidelines

Instructions and Assistance for Assistive Technology Users

Students using assistive technology to access resources in CI Docs for course-related activities should contact their instructor for assistance.

University employees using assistive technology to access resources in CI Docs for administrative activities should contact their immediate supervisor for assistance. 

Campus affiliates and auxiliaries, other members of the campus community, and members of the general public who use assistive technology to access resources in CI Docs for administrative or academic activities should contact Human Resources for assistance.  

Additional Resources

For more information on the accessibility of Google Apps, please refer to the following information:

Reporting Accessibility Problems with CI Docs

Students who are unable to access CI Docs for course-related activities will contact their faculty member, who will in turn contact Disability Accommodations and Support Services (DASS). DASS will evaluate the request, gather required resources, and assist the faculty member in coordinating and providing accommodations within a reasonable period of time and as appropriate.

Employees who are unable to access CI Docs for administrative use should contact their supervisor, who will in turn contact Human Resources. Human Resources will evaluate the request, gather resource, coordinate and deliver the necessary accommodations within a reasonable period of time and as appropriate.

Campus affiliates, other members of the campus community, or the general public who are unable to access CI Docs for administrative use should contact Human Resources. Human Resources will evaluate the request, gather resource, coordinate and deliver the necessary accommodations within a reasonable period of time and as appropriate.

Questions?

For general questions pertaining to CI Docs accessibility or the CI Docs system, please contact the IT Solution Center or call 805-437-8552.

 

Document last updated 2012-09-21. Created 2012-08-31.

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