Northern Illinois University
Ethics and Compliance Office
Office of the President

Public universities like NIU are required to have accessible electronic and information technology (EIT) in compliance with Section 508 Refresh of the Rehabilitation Act. NIU must also comply with the Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act 2.0

In addition, NIU is committed to providing accessible technology to students, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds using technology in an increasingly wide range of situations.

A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT®) is the industry standard for showing compliance with accessibility law. NIU requires VPAT 2.2 or higher.

The templates include detailed instructions. Levels A and AA must be completed. Best practice is to hire an independent accessibility consultant to complete the VPAT for you. 

State and federal law require that an equally effective alternative is available until the EIT has been made accessible. You may be asked for an equally effective alternative.

You may be asked for a Timeline to Compliance Form.