Exceptions and Exemptions
While it is always best to pursue the highest quality and availability of accessibility sometimes an exception or exemption is needed.
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Exceptions are granted on a local level by the president of the institution. For an exception to be granted it must meet 1 or more of the criteria
- Determining whether compliance with a provision of EIR accessibility law or administrative rules imposes a significant difficulty or expense on the agency or institution
- Obtaining an exception from the head of the agency or institution if compliance imposes a significant difficulty or expense
- Providing individuals with disabilities an alternate method of access if an exception is determined by the head of the agency or institution
- Exemptions on an entire EIR can only be made by the Department of Information Resources(DIR). A list of current exemptions is posted on the DIR website.
Exemptions The following EIR currently has an exemption on file:
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Software
Link to State wide Exemptions
Laws and Regulations
Both Federal and State Law require SFASU to make Electronic Accessibility a priority. When referring to technology, the Government often refers to it as EIR, or Electronic Information Resource. Per the Texas Administrative Code, "…all EIR developed, procured or changed by an institution of higher education shall comply with the standards and specifications of Chapter 206 and/or Chapter 213 of this title (Texas Administrative Code)."
Per the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR), "State agencies and institutions of higher education are required to comply with Texas EIR Accessibility statutes and rules to provide accessibility."
1 TAC §206: "aligns state web accessibility standards with the federal regulations set forth in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
1 TAC §213: "enacted state standards for procurement, development, or usage of EIR for people with disabilities and also aligns accessibility standards with the federal regulations set forth in Section 508."
Section 508: "…agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information comparable to the access available to others." references standards contained within and subsequently require conformance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA.
References to Laws and Regulations:
- Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR): https://dir.texas.gov/View-Resources/Pages/Content.aspx?id=36
- Texas Administrative Code (TAC): https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=3&ti=1&pt=10
- Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC): https://www.itic.org/