Accessibility Statement
West Valley College is committed to providing web services that are accessible and usable by all regardless of technology or access method. We actively work to increase the accessibility and usability of our websites by striving towards the seven principles of universal design, including: equitable use, flexibility, simple yet intuitive, perceptible information, tolerance for errors, low physical effort for task completion, and appropriate design for approach in use.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level Double-A standards influence West Valley College web design. Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is no longer the single relevant accessibility guideline for web content. By Fall 2018, all of the West Valley College web content will conform to the WCAG 2.0 Level Double-A standards.
This site has been built using code that is compliant with the W3C standards for HTML and CSS, which allows for future technologies, including assistive technologies, to properly interact with and display web content.
The West Valley College websites aspire to meet WCAG 2.0 Level Double-A and meet or exceed Section 508 standards of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. To meet these standards, the following best practices are adhered to:
- Alternative text descriptions for images
- Form inputs with associated text labels that provide instruction cues of detected input errors
- Appropriately titled frames
- Synchronized captions for non-live web-based video
- Tables for tabular data with data table captions and summaries used where appropriate
- Content for which color alone is not the sole method for conveying content to distinguish visual elements
- Color contrast ratio is at least 4.5:1
- All page functionality is available using a keyboard
- Dynamic content with the ability to be paused or stopped
- Intuitive and logical ordering of navigation links and form elements
- Consistent navigation and functionality of elements across multiple webpages
Exceptions
Ellucian Online Searchable Class Schedule
While the main West Valley College websites strive to meet the standards of WCAG 2.0 Level Double-A, the college's Ellucian Student Portal, including the Online Searchable Class Schedule, does not currently entirely conform to Section 508 criteria 1194.22 (g), 1194.22 (i), and 1194.22 (n). The college is actively working with Ellucian to remediate these issues. If you experience issues accessing the Ellucian Student Portal, please contact the West Valley College Web Team at: wv.webmasterFREEWEST_VALLEY.
Harris Geospatial Solutions – ENVI/ENVI Engine 5.4, IDL/IDL Engine 8.6
The Harris Geospatial software applications ENVI and IDL have not been tested with assistive technologies and do not currently entirely conform to Section 508 criteria 1194.21(a), 1194.21(c), 1194.21(d), 1194.21(f), 1194.21(g), 1194.31 (a), and 1194.31 (b). If you experience issues accessing the Harris Geospatial software applications, please contact the Office of Instruction.
Accessibility Testing
West Valley College uses Compliance Sheriff for automated accessibility monitoring, verification and remediation based upon the standards defined by the WCAG 2.0 and Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973. All areas of the West Valley College website will be reviewed at least annually; new content is reviewed prior to publication. Automated accessibility checkers are in place to report on compliance issues, such as spelling, color contrast, missing headings, images without alternative text, and other compliance violations as they arise.
Reporting an Issue
If you are having difficulty accessing a web page, please let us know so that we may evaluate the page for accessibility. You may contact us by email wv.webmasterFREEWEST_VALLEY.
In your email, please include the following information:
- The web page address URL in question, e.g. Admissions Homepage
- Your contact information: name, telephone number and e-mail address
- Technical information: operating system or device, web browser name, web browser version and any adaptive software you are using if applicable.
- Please describe in as much detail as possible, the problems you are having in accessing the page.
- If you are able to do so, please include a “screen shot” or image of the page where you encounter the problem
If you are a student seeking reasonable accommodation under Section 504 or 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, or the ADA, see:
Amy Delevett, Director of Disability and Educational Support Program (DESP) and ADA Compliance Coordinator
West Valley College
14000 Fruitvale Ave.
Saratoga, Ca 95070-9698
(408) 741–2010
Grievances, complaints and questions may be submitted to:
Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources
West Valley College, Personnel
14000 Fruitvale Ave.
Saratoga, Ca 95070-9698
(408) 741–2060
West Valley – Mission Community College District Policy
The West Valley-Mission Community College District is committed to providing equitable access to all members of the District community and to supporting the open access policy of the California Community College system by providing barrier-free access to all students, including access to electronic and information technology in accordance with State and Federal mandates (Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in 1998, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended in 2008 and California Senate Bill 105). The District is committed to expanding the boundaries of access beyond the physical setting for students with disabilities recognizing that students are entitled to equitable access to electronic information and technology.
WVMCCD Administrative Policy 5140 (PDF)