"Lives, Breathes, and Thrives": Can American Indian Students With Disabilities Access Tribal College Websites?

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: College Access and Equity for Marginalized Students

Abstract

Tribal colleges often serve a student population that faces an intersectional discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, geography, and socioeconomic status. Since Section 508’s amendment, no research has explored the web accessibility of tribal college websites. Analyzing all 34 federally-recognized tribal college websites, this study suggests zero tribal college websites were entirely accessible for people with disabilities, as all 34 websites did not meet the Level-AA threshold of compliance per ADA. Data reveal the average tribal college website included over 1,500 violations of WCAG 2.0 standards at the Level-A and -AA threshold, while private, nonprofit tribal college websites were more accessible than public peers. Implications for the inclusion of tribal college students with disabilities are addressed.

Author

• Zach Taylor, University of Southern Mississippi