“Lives, Breathes, and Thrives”: Can American Indian Students With Disabilities Access Tribal College Websites?

On January 18, 2018, the United States Congress re-amended Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in an effort to increase the accessibility of government websites for people with disabilities. Since the Section 508 amendment, no research has explored the web accessibility of tribal college websites to learn whether American Indian students with disabilities face an amplified level of discrimination on the basis of ability. Analyzing all 34 federally recognized tribal college websites, this study suggests no tribal college websites were entirely accessible for people with disabilities, as all 34 websites did not meet the Level AA threshold of compliance per ADA. Data reveal the average tribal college website included over 1,500 violations of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 standards at the Level A and AA threshold. Implications for research, practice, and the inclusion of American Indian students with disabilities are addressed.