Roles and Responsibilities
Strategic Guidance
The Steering Committee provides strategic guidance on how best to implement the UVM Digital Accessibility Roadmap, including approving changes to the Roadmap on an annual basis. It also provides recommendations to the UVM ADA Executive Committee on larger accessibility initiatives at the University.
Resource Allocation
The Steering Committee is responsible for approving the purchase of all accessibility-related software and associated tools at UVM.
Risk Management
The Steering Committee reviews significant institutional digital accessibility risks and helps coordinate mitigation strategies across campus. This includes Greatly Elevated Accessibility Risk Protocol results discovered during the software purchasing process, larger trends in digital accessibility needs and feedback, and digital accessibility compliance issues.
Performance Oversight
The Steering Committee reviews institutional metrics, audit findings, and progress toward implementation of the Digital Accessibility Roadmap.
Membership
Membership includes representatives from key administrative and academic support units responsible for digital accessibility, technology, communications, student support, and instructional services.
Additionally, the Steering Committee includes student members of the Disabled Students Union.
The Steering Committee is chaired by the Director of the Office of Accessibility Services.
The Steering Committee will strive for consensus whenever possible. When consensus cannot be reached, recommendations may be determined by majority vote.
Members are asked to serve a minimum 12-month term. If a member wishes to step down, the choice of a replacement member from their unit must be approved by the Steering Committee Chairperson.
Authority
The Steering Committee has binding authority to approve scope changes to all digital accessibility projects at the University. The Steering Committee also has binding authority on the implementation of digital accessibility tools, reporting, training, and communications.
The Steering Committee develops recommendations, establishes implementation priorities, coordinates work across units, and determines policy and resource decisions. The Steering Committee operates under the aegis of and by reporting to the UVM ADA Executive Committee.
Operational Procedures
Quorum
A quorum of the Steering Committee is achieved by the attendance of 60% of members at a meeting (either in person or virtually), or attending a vote.
Meeting Frequency
The UVM Digital Steering Committee meets monthly to review decision points, roadblocks, and achievements in successful implementation of digital accessibility conformance across UVM.
Additionally, the Steering Committee will conduct two annual half-day retreats for the purposes of data review and planning.
Chair Responsibilities
The Steering Committee chair is responsible for determining Steering Committee meeting agendas, facilitating Committee meetings, and ensuring adequate documentation of those meetings. Additionally, the Steering Committee chair has the ability to determine the outcome of a decision-making process, should the Committee be unable to come to consensus and be deadlocked in voting.
Decision Documentation
Minutes from the Steering Committee meetings will be held centrally on Teams. They will be available to the campus community except in cases where the Digital Steering Committee discusses accessibility compliance issues.
Decisions made by the Steering Committee will be published to the UVM Accessibility Hub, as well as being shared through the OAS newsletter. Steering Committee members are responsible for conveying Steering Committee decisions to their home departments and units.
Relationship to the ADA Executive Committee
The Digital Accessibility Steering Committee reports to and supports the ADA Executive Committee by coordinating implementation of institutional digital accessibility initiatives. Strategic recommendations, policy changes, and issues requiring executive action will be elevated to the ADA Executive Committee for review and approval.