Student working at exam equipment in the clinical training center

NECO Website Accessibility Policy

The New England College of Optometry is committed to supporting website accessibility for all individuals.

Purpose

The New England College of Optometry (NECO) is committed to supporting accessibility in all aspects of its operations. The College’s commitment to accessibility is based on the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. NECO vows to create and sustain a culture where individuals can expect to be treated with dignity and respect in every aspect of their educational experiences.

Everyone can be affected by inaccessibility, though in many cases, individuals with disabilities are affected the most. About 1 in 10 college students have a disability (National Postsecondary Student Aid Study: 2008). Four main types of disabilities can impact how one should consider accessibility.

Visual disability – Individuals with visual disabilities may struggle with low vision, blindness, colorblindness, and photosensitivity relating to computer screens.

Mobility disability – Individuals with mobility disabilities may struggle with keyboard access, mouse use, or other actions requiring fine motor control.

Hearing disability – Individuals with hearing disabilities may be deaf or hard of hearing and thus may not be able to access multimedia content.

Cognitive disability – Individuals with cognitive disabilities may struggle with website content comprehension, structure, or design.

Web accessibility benefits everyone – not just those with disabilities. Accessibility increases utility for all users and allows NECO to reach a wider audience.

NECO recognizes the need for students and employees to have equal opportunities in all facets of their education. Website accessibility improves utility and the overall academic experience for all students and employees. NECO has procedures in place to achieve and maintain digital accessibility across its online presence.

Scope

NECO aims to ensure that the information on its website is accessible to as many people as possible and meets the standards of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. NECO’s Web Accessibility Policy applies to all staff, faculty, and students who design, modify, guide and interact with College webpages and online platforms.