USG & KSU Policies

For our member institutions, USG Further, the USG policy manual, section 4.1.5 articulates:

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires colleges or universities to make necessary modifications to ensure that the institution does not discriminate or have the effect of discrimination against a qualified student with a disability. The USG is committed to providing equal educational opportunities to all students, and offers students with disabilities a variety of services and accommodations to ensure that both facilities and programs are accessible.

The USG has established sets of common standards and procedures for evaluating and administering accommodations for students with disabilities, which can be found in the Academic Affairs Handbook.

The policy is pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The USG is a “public entity” within the meaning of the ADA, 42 U.S.C. § 12131, and 28 C.F.R. § 35.104, and, therefore, subject to Title II of the ADA, and its implementing regulations, 28 C.F.R. Part 35. It is also a “recipient” of “federal financial assistance” within the meaning of Section 504, 29 U.S.C. § 794, and 34 C.F.R. § 104 and is therefore subject to Section 504 and the relevant implementing regulations, 34 C.F.R. Part 104 (BoR Minutes, November 2008).  (Board of Regents, 2021) 

In addition, Appendices D-H of Section Three of USG’s Academic Affairs manual, outlines the policies, procedures, and guidelines for documenting student disabilities and making appropriate accommodations.

While it is right and necessary to make accommodations for students when we find that our current content and structures are not accessible to them, it is better to begin by creating content that is accessible to as many people as we can make it accessible to. For this reason, in 2016, Kennesaw State adopted its own policy on web accessibility, which states:

“Kennesaw State University (KSU) is committed to ensuring that official Web content and other electronic information associated with University administration, services, courses, or instruction programs and activities conform to widely accepted Web accessibility standards. KSU's goal is to provide effortless access for students, faculty, staff, and visitors to Web-based content by maintaining, as a minimum standard, the guidelines set forth in the University System of Georgia’s Web Accessibility Guidelines.”

Academic & Student Affairs Handbook | Appendices D - H | University System of Georgia. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2021, from https://www.usg.edu/academic_affairs_handbook/section3/C793

Board of Regents Policy Manual, Section 4.1.5: Students with Disabilities. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2021, from www.usg.edu/policymanual/section4/policy/4.1_general_policy/#p4.1.5_students_with_disabilities