Accessible Technology Initiative

FAQ

These are common questions asked across the CSU concerning ATI. If you would like to ask or propose a question to be added to this list, contact the Office of the Chief Technology Officer.

What is ATI?

The Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI) reflects the California State University's (CSU) ongoing commitment to provide access to information resources and technologies to individuals with disabilities. This commitment is articulated in Executive Order 926 (EO 926), the CSU Board of Trustees Policy on Disability Support and Accommodations:

"It is the policy of the CSU to make information technology resources and services accessible to all CSU students, faculty, staff and the general public regardless of disability."

Why ATI?

Federal and State law mandate that information and technology be accessible to everyone. In general, the CSU has been reactive as opposed to proactive in this area. As a result, several complaints have been filed with the Office of Civil Rights in several campuses concerning accessibility to instructional materials, and technology. ATI is the CSU process to become proactive in accessibility.

How long is ATI going to last?

Implementation of ATI is a five year process with full implementation scheduled for Fall, 2012. Issues concerning accessibility will be ongoing and are being imbedded into the business and academic processes at CSUMB.

What do I need to do... and when will I know?

Implementation planning is occurring through June 15, 2007, when the campus report outlining the processes and benchmarks that CSUMB will use is due to the CSU. Upon finalization of the CSUMB process, the ATI Steering Committee will begin working with the campus community to inform, educate, and support the implementation.

What about providers of educational resources... publishers, hardware, software, etc?

As the largest educational system in the United States, the CSU will be working with business to adapt their products to meet accessibility requirements in education.

Will ATI impact faculty and staff workload?

ATI is focused on the use of technology to improve accessibility and access to content. Information Technologies (IT@CSUMB) will provide tools and solutions to minimize the impact of faculty and staff to support the management of accessible web sites, to improve accessibility for instructional materials, and to facilitate the procurement of compliant hardware and software. Faculty and staff will continue to work with Student Disability Resources and CAT to provide accommodations for students with disabilities.

What is the funding source for ATI?

Executive Order 926 included no funding source. Each campus is planning to submit a budget statement that outlines the likely direct and indirect costs associated with the project to the CSU as well as identify internal resources to meet the timelines.

What is "ATI compliance?" How will it impact my work or classroom?

Each segment of ATI has a different set of requirements. The campus web site must allow for at least 80% of accessible content to be defined in collaboration with the Chancellor's Office and the campuses. We're in the planning and discussion stages of discussion about this topic. We expect to include provisions, compliance agreements, and measures for instructional material support in our planning process

Will CSUMB provide staff and faculty training to support ATI projects and initiatives?

The Center for Academic Technologies along with TSS plans to deliver and support staff and faculty training in the use of common practices and technology tools in support of accessibility. IT@CSUMB will collaborate with other CSUMB faculty support programs and services to incorporate ATI related training into their programs.