Overview

To ensure compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and promote inclusive communication, all staff must complete required accessibility training to obtain or retain permissions to send emails to college and districtwide staff, faculty, and student lists. This policy ensures that all mass communications meet accessibility standards, fostering an equitable experience for all recipients.

This policy applies to all staff and faculty who currently have or wish to have permissions to send college or districtwide email communications through institutional listservs.

Mandatory Training for All Existing Staff with Permissions

All current staff with listserv email privileges must complete the following SBCTC Micro-Courses within one month of this policy's effective date:

Understanding Accessibility

Accessible Design Concepts

Accessible Emails

Accessible PDFs*

Staff must complete all required Accessibility Micro-Courses within the one-month training window. Those who do not complete the training in time - or who request email permissions at a later date - must first finish all required micro-courses before being granted access to send messages to college and districtwide listservs.

*Accessible PDF training is only required if you plan to continue sending PDFs by email. Seattle Colleges discourages the use of PDFs for emailed general announcements due to the difficulty of ensuring full accessibility of PDF flyers. However, accessibly created PDFs are still permitted when necessary.

Training Requirement for New ListServ Access

Any staff or faculty member requesting new email ListServ access must complete the required training listed above prior to receiving editing permissions.

Additional Encouraged Trainings

Seattle Colleges encourages all staff and faculty to pursue the full SBCTC Accessibility Certificate Program, which includes a total of eight micro-courses:

Understanding Accessibility

Accessible Design Concepts

Universal Design

Accessible Emails

Accessible Email

Accessible PowerPoints

Accessible PDFs

Canvas Accessibility

These additional trainings help reinforce best practices and expand accessibility skills across various platforms.

Procedure

Initial Notification
- All staff will be notified of this policy and the one-month training requirement via email.
- The email will include details on accessing the SBCTC Micro-Courses and the training timeline.
Training Completion and Submission
- Employees complete the required training with the minimum passing score (or higher).
- Submit your course certificates via the designated Accessibility Micro-Course Certificates Submission Form.
Verification and Permissions
- The Accessible Technology Manager will verify submitted certificates, and attestations.
- Verified requests will be forwarded to the IT department to enable or retain email permissions.
Failure to Comply
- Staff who fail to complete the required training within the one-month period will lose permissions to send college or district-wide emails.
- Permissions will only be reinstated after completing the training and submitting the necessary documentation.
Ongoing Compliance

- The Accessible Technology Manager will conduct periodic audits to ensure continued adherence to accessibility standards in email communications.

- Staff failing to meet standards may be required to retake relevant training.

- Training is available on a ongoing basis inside Seattle Colleges LMS - Canvas for any new enrollment.

Enforcement

Failure to comply with this policy will result in the suspension of email privileges. Supervisors may address non-compliance through appropriate performance management channels.

Note: Staff using outside vendor products and tools to create html-based emails such as MailChimp must also follow this policy. Extra steps must also be taken to ensure the message platform and generated emails meet accessibility standards as outlined in the required training.

Resources

Accessible Emails Checklist
Section508.gov: Creating Accessible Email Messages
Accessibility Features Make Mailchimp Work for Everyone
SBCTC “Accessibility Micro-Courses” available in your Canvas Dashboard (or email elearning@seattlecolleges.edu for assistance registering if it’s not on your Dashboard)

Accessibility Micro-Course Certificates Submission Form
Email Accessibility Best Practices module in Digital Accessibility Training Hub