Louisiana Tech U. Settles With U.S. Over Claims That It Violated Disabilities Act

Louisiana Tech University will pay a student a total of $23,543 in damages and make its Web sites and course materials more accessible in order to resolve allegations that it violated the Americans With Disabilities Act, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday.

In an agreement with the department, the university settled accusations that it had violated the law by using an online-learning product that was inaccessible to a blind student—a complaint similar to those on many campuses. The department said the student had been unable to gain access to class materials for almost a month into the university’s quarter, putting him so far behind in his work that he felt forced to withdraw from the course.

The Justice Department said that, in a subsequent course, the university had been accused of failing to provide the student with accessible materials in a timely manner. The agreement also settled those allegations.

The department said the university, which is part of the University of Louisiana System, had agreed to use course content and Web pages that meet certain standards for online accessibility. The university will also make accessible Web pages and materials created since 2010, and will train its employees on the requirements of the law.

A university spokesman said the institution wanted to meet the needs of sight-impaired students and looked forward to doing so.