The Research Institute at WOU


Our Commitment to Accessibility

Our website is committed to providing access to the contents of our digital assets for individuals with disabilities. To meet this commitment, we follow the four main guiding principles of accessibility in WCAG 2.0 which are: Perceivable, perceivable information and user interface; Operable, operable user interface, and navigation; Understandable; understandable information and user interface; and Robust, robust content and reliable interpretation (POUR). Focusing on these principles helps to keep people at the center of our process.

What is meant by web accessibility?

Web accessibility is the application of design principles to make websites, web applications, and web content usable by persons with disabilities who may be using assistive technologies to access the web.

What design principles were considered to make the website accessible?

  Separation of content and design - all of the visual elements on the website (e.g. menu bars, avatars, images, logos, colored elements like bars and badges) can be removed without detracting from the textual content of the site.

  Descriptive image tags - all images used within the site have associated descriptions so that individuals who are visually impaired that are using a screen reader can still understand the purpose and context of the image.

  High contrast - text and visual information is presented in a high contrast environment (e.g. black text on white background, white text on red background) so that text is always easy to read.

  No reliance on color to convey information - color used throughout the site is for aesthetic or decorative purposes. It is not intended to convey important information.

If we post a link to another site, must that site also be accessible?

The website links to content frequently housed on other websites and that content may not always be accessible. However, the user and their potential accessibility issues are kept in mind as much as possible when linking to other sites. Contact the Site Administrator if you have questions about our site.

What do I do if I have trouble accessing some content on the website?

If you use assistive technology (such as a Braille reader, a screen reader, etc.) and the format of any material on our web pages interferes with your ability to access the information, please contact the Site Administrator. To enable us to respond in a manner most helpful to you, please indicate the nature of your accessibility problem, the preferred format in which to receive the material, the web address of the requested material, and your contact information. The website may contain links to external publications and web sites. Links are provided as a service to our audience, in an effort to provide additional information where applicable.  We have no control over the accessibility of these external publications and websites. 


The Research Institute : Western Oregon University : 345 N. Monmouth Ave. : Monmouth, OR 97361
Contact Us: 800-438-9376 | info@triwou.org