November 4, 2019
Dear community members,
In April, we wrote to let you know about the University’s adoption of a Digital Accessibility Policy designed to make Harvard’s public-facing websites, and the digital content we create and post, more readily available to those with disabilities who seek to engage with Harvard online.
Since then, many of you have been hard at work preparing the resources and tools to support the implementation of the Policy on December 1. We encourage you to read the helpful list of FAQs about the policy compiled by Harvard University Information Technology (HUIT). We also hope that you will access the many resources on accessibility.huit.harvard.edu, which include a quick-start guide and checklists for accessibility. Trainings will continue to be offered through Harvard Web Publishing and Digital Accessibility Services, a new team within HUIT.
We are grateful to the many members of our community who provided valuable training and resources since this past summer, and to the Digital Accessibility Liaison network, which was established to help coordinate local efforts and resources across Harvard’s Schools and Units.
Of course, utmost thanks are due to those individuals maintaining and updating the University’s digital assets. While many of you have already been prioritizing digital accessibility, this critically important issue may be new to others. The University is here to support your work toward ensuring that we achieve the goals of our Policy.
Harvard’s Digital Accessibility Policy is grounded in the University’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging. Our websites provide a wealth of opportunities for our community members to communicate with each other and to share ideas, and we want these websites to be available to everyone who wishes to access them.
We all have a role to play in creating a welcoming, inclusive space at Harvard, both in person and online. Thank you for your ongoing work in this effort.
Sincerely,
Alan M. Garber
Provost
Katie Lapp
Executive Vice President