Help — Equally

Dictionary

The words Equally uses, in plain language: what each status, role and step in the process means.

Request statuses

What each request status means and what happens next
Status	What it means	What happens next
Draft	The Submitter is still filling in the request.	They route it to their Unit Approver, or discard it.
Awaiting Unit Approval	Routed, and waiting for the Unit Approver.	They approve it or return it with comments. The Submitter can still withdraw it.
Awaiting DEOC Review	The Unit Approver approved it. The Exceptions Coordinator is reviewing it.	The coordinator marks it ready for the committee, returns it, or records a decision.
Awaiting Committee	The review committee is looking at it offline.	The coordinator records the committee's decision.
Returned for Revision	Sent back with comments by the Unit Approver or the Exceptions Coordinator.	The Submitter revises it and routes it again. It goes back to the Unit Approver first.
Active	Approved. An exception lasts two years from the approval date.	Check-ins at least every 90 days, and a renewal before it expires.
Denied	The decision was no. Final.	Nothing further.
Withdrawn	The Submitter withdrew it after routing. Final.	Nothing further.
Expired	Past its expiry date with no approved renewal. Read-only.	Only a renewal can follow.
Closed	Ended early: Fixed, No longer used or Replaced by renewal.	The Exceptions Coordinator can reopen it until its expiry date, except one closed by a renewal.

An active request can also show one of these, worked out from its dates: Check-in due (more than 90 days since the last check-in or approval), Check-in overdue (more than 120 days) and Expiring soon (within 60 days of the expiry date).

Roles

Three roles belong to a person's account. An administrator gives them on the Admin page.

The roles an administrator gives to a person
Role	What it is for
Exceptions Coordinator	Central office staff who run the review: reviews requests, marks them ready for the committee, returns them, records the committee's decision, assigns the coordinator and reopens closed requests. One person at a time, who receives the coordinator emails.
Review Committee	Reviews requests offline. Can see every request and add internal notes, and is emailed when a request is ready for the committee. Decisions are recorded by the coordinator.
System Administrator	Manages who holds these roles. Can see every request, read the email log and internal notes, act on a user's behalf (Proxy), assign the coordinator and change a request's Submitter. Does not decide requests.

The other roles belong to one request, not to a person. The same person can be the Submitter on one request and the Unit Approver on another.

The roles a request has
Role	What it is for
Submitter	Creates the request, names the approver and the remediation contact, routes it, revises it when it is returned, and can withdraw, close, renew or check in.
Unit Approver	The unit's own approval, before the office sees the request. Approves it or returns it.
Remediation Contact	Reports progress on the fix through check-ins, and can close the request. If left blank, it is the Submitter.
Unit User	Not a role anyone is given. It is what Equally calls someone who is signed in and holds none of the roles above.

Why are the Submitter, Unit Approver, Remediation Contact and Unit User not on the Roles page?: The Roles page lists only roles an administrator gives to a person across the whole app. The Submitter, Unit Approver and Remediation Contact are set on each request: the Submitter names the approver and the contact on the request form, and the office can change them there. There is nothing for an administrator to hand out, and doing so would suggest a person holds the role on every request. Unit User is only the label for a signed-in person with no other role. These names can be changed only through a database change, not on the Roles page.

Main steps

What the main steps in a request mean
Step	In short
Route a request	The Submitter names a Unit Approver and sends the request for approval. Every required field must be filled in. Naming people on a saved draft sends nothing.
Unit approval	The Unit Approver types their name to approve, or returns the request with comments. Approval assigns it to the Exceptions Coordinator.
Coordinator review	The Exceptions Coordinator reviews for completeness, then marks it ready for the committee, returns it, or records a decision. A coordinator must be assigned to the request before it can go to the committee.
Committee decision	The coordinator records the outcome (Approved, Returned or Denied) and the committee's rationale. Approved starts a two-year exception.
Assigning a coordinator	With one coordinator, a request is assigned to them automatically when the Unit Approver approves. After a handover, a request can still name the previous coordinator ("No longer the coordinator"), and the new coordinator assigns it to themselves.
Handover	For a vacation or a departure, the System Administrator removes the Exceptions Coordinator role from one person and gives it to the next. Open requests keep the old name until reassigned.
Check-in	A progress update on the remediation plan, with milestones. Due at least every 90 days.
Renewal	Creates a new draft from the current request, routed as usual. The current exception stays active until the renewal is approved, which closes it.
Close and reopen	The Submitter or Remediation Contact closes an active request when the system is fixed or no longer used. The Exceptions Coordinator can reopen it until its expiry date.
Withdraw and discard	A routed request can be withdrawn, with a reason, until a decision is recorded. A draft that was never routed is simply discarded.
Change the approver or Submitter	The approver can be changed while the request awaits approval. The Submitter can be changed by the Exceptions Coordinator or the System Administrator, with a reason.
Internal notes	The office's own notes on a request. Visible only to coordinators, the committee and administrators, never to the submitter or approver.
Emails	One-way notifications of what happened or what is needed. Coordinator mail goes to one person, with the office mailbox copied. Coordinators and administrators can see what was sent on the request's Emails tab.
Activity and Field changes	The request's history: each step with who took it and in which role, and each change to a field.
Proxy	A System Administrator acts as another user, for a stated reason, for up to 30 minutes. Every action records both the real person and the one proxied.

About Equally

What is Equally for?: Submitting and tracking IT accessibility exception requests under UC Policy IMT-1300. A unit requests an exception when one of its IT systems, such as a website, an application or a vendor product, does not yet meet accessibility standards. The request explains the barrier, who is affected, how they will be helped in the meantime, and the plan to fix it.
How do I sign in?: With your UCInetID, on the UCI login page. Your first sign-in sets you up in Equally.

Submitting a request

How do I start?: Click "+ New Request". The form has six steps. Click "Save draft" at any time and come back later; nothing is sent until you route it.
What is an EEAAP?: An Equally Effective Alternative Accommodation Plan: how the unit will give people with disabilities another way to access the IT until it is fixed. The form asks for the accommodation, how someone requests and uses it, and the budget that pays for it. Its cost cannot be passed on to the person asking for it.
What are the five conditions?: The policy asks the unit to attest that all five are met. Conditions 1 and 5 are covered by other parts of the form; you answer 2 to 4 in step 5.

The Location conducted a meaningful consultation of individuals with relevant subject matter expertise, including (i) an Accessibility Consultation with individual(s) who have relevant Accessibility technical expertise and knowledge of legal requirements, and (ii) the individual(s) responsible for Exceptions Approval at the Location.

When considering the whole of the Location's resources, the Location does not have the ability or resources to develop similar Accessible IT.

At the time of review, no supplier can provide the IT in an Accessible manner.

Any delay in deploying the IT would have a significant adverse impact on the Location.

The Location has prepared a remediation plan and approved an EEAAP to provide individuals with Disabilities an alternative means to access and/or use the IT.
Who should be my Unit Approver?: The person in your unit who approves this request on the unit's behalf. Type their name or UCInetID in step 6 and pick them from the list. They are emailed when you route the request.
Can I attach documents?: Yes, for example a conformance report (VPAT), audit results or a vendor letter. PDF, Word, Excel, PNG and JPEG files up to 10 MB each, and up to 20 per request.

Who can add, download and remove attachments

Who Add files Download Remove

Submitter While the request is a draft or returned for revision Yes Their own files, at the same times

Exceptions Coordinator Once the Unit Approver has approved the request, at every stage after that except while it is returned for revision Yes Their own files, at the same times

Unit Approver, Remediation Contact, Review Committee, System Administrator No Yes No

Anyone not on the request No No No

Do

Attach everything reviewers need before you route the request.

Give files clear names, such as "Vendor VPAT 2026.pdf".

If a document arrives after your Unit Approver has approved the request, email it to the Exceptions Coordinator, who can attach it for you. Before that, ask your Unit Approver to return the request so you can attach it yourself.

Check the file in the list after uploading; it downloads exactly as stored.

Don't

Don't expect to add or remove files after routing. They are locked until the request is returned to you.

Don't upload other file types, such as .zip, .txt or .exe, or a file renamed to look like one of the allowed types. They are refused.

Don't upload files over 10 MB. Split a large report or save it as a smaller PDF.

Don't use attachments in place of the form. The written answers are what your Unit Approver signs.

Who can add, download and remove attachments
Who	Add files	Download	Remove
Submitter	While the request is a draft or returned for revision	Yes	Their own files, at the same times
Exceptions Coordinator	Once the Unit Approver has approved the request, at every stage after that except while it is returned for revision	Yes	Their own files, at the same times
Unit Approver, Remediation Contact, Review Committee, System Administrator	No	Yes	No
Anyone not on the request	No	No	No

Review and approval

What happens after I route it?: Your Unit Approver approves it or sends it back. Once approved, the Exceptions Coordinator reviews it and may take it to the Review Committee. The coordinator then records the decision: approved, returned for revision, or denied. You are emailed at each step.
Who handles my request?: One Exceptions Coordinator handles requests. When your Unit Approver approves, your request is assigned to them automatically, and their name appears under "Exceptions Coordinator" on the request page.
My request was returned. What now?: Open it, read the comment on the Activity tab or in your email, update the form and route it again. It goes back to your Unit Approver first.
My Unit Approver is away. Can I change them?: Yes, while the request is waiting for their approval. Open the request and use "Change Unit Approver". The new approver is emailed. The Exceptions Coordinator can also do this for you.
Our Submitter is away or has left. Who takes over the request?: The unit decides. Email ada@uci.edu with the name of the colleague taking over, and the Exceptions Coordinator moves the request to them. They are emailed, and can then do everything the Submitter could.
Can I withdraw a request?: Yes, from the time you route it until a decision is recorded. Open it, use "Withdraw this request" and give a reason. Withdrawing is final. A draft that was never routed can simply be discarded.

After approval

How long does an exception last?: Two years from the day it is approved. The expiry date is shown on the request.
What is a check-in?: A progress update on the remediation plan, submitted by the submitter or the Remediation Contact. The request shows "Check-in due" when more than 90 days have passed since the last one (or since approval), and "Check-in overdue" after 120 days.
My exception is expiring. What do I do?: Open the request and use "Start renewal". It creates a new draft filled in from the current request, which you update and route as usual. The current exception stays active until the renewal is approved, which closes it. After the expiry date the request is read-only and no longer takes check-ins, but you can still renew it.
The system is fixed, or no longer used. How do I close the request?: Open the request and use "Close this request". Choose Fixed or No longer used and add a short note, such as how the fix was tested. Check-ins stop. The Submitter or the Remediation Contact can close it, and the Exceptions Coordinator is told and can reopen it if needed.

Who can see what

Who can see my request?: You, the Unit Approver and the Remediation Contact named on it, plus the central office: people holding the Exceptions Coordinator, Review Committee or System Administrator role. Nobody else at UCI can open it.
What are internal notes?: Notes the central office keeps while reviewing a request. They are not shown to submitters or approvers.
Who do I contact with a question?: For the policy or a request under review, email ada@uci.edu. Emails from Equally are automated, so please don't reply to them.