Department of Education investigating UM complaint

MISSOULA — The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights has been investigating a complaint that educational technology used at the University of Montana is not adequately accessible to all students with disabilities.

The Alliance for Disability and Students at the University of Montana filed a complaint with the Department of Education last May alleging students with disabilities face discrimination at UM. The department’s Office of Civil Rights confirmed in an email to the Missoulian Monday that it is investigating.

Travis Moses, a blind student, said he can’t always do his homework because some online videos loaded onto the learning management system Moodle don’t have adequate captions and some online images are not clear enough for a screen reading program to translate.

“I’ve been told every year, ‘Oh, we’re working on it,”’ said Moses, a senior majoring in social work. “Well, you know, I’ve gotten to the point that I doubt it. I’m angry that something was put in place that was not verified.”

Courtney Damron, director of the alliance, said the group tried to resolve the problem through channels on campus, but after five years of discussion, they felt UM administrators had not adequately addressed problems so the student group took its complaint to the federal agency.

UM officials are cooperating with the investigation and have provided information on policies, practices and records to the Office for Civil Rights.

Amy Capolupo, interim director for Disability Student Services, said her office has advocated for access and so has student affairs and the university president.

“Really, our students are now sending a message very clearly that access is everyone’s responsibility on campus, and we all need to take a role in that,” Capolupo said.

Capolupo said over the past few years they’ve added sign language interpreters and staff to caption videos. A policy change will require teachers to turn in videos with enough lead time for someone to write captions before class.

She said the alliance’s suggestion that the school hire an internet technology employee responsible for ensuring access to online tools is one potential solution.

Capolupo’s office also offers training on the use of Moodle, but spokeswoman Peggy Kuhr said it didn’t appear to be a requirement.

A committee working to address educational technologies is writing an electronic and information technology policy, Kuhr said.

A draft is slated to be available by mid-October.