In the world of accessibility, we often focus on making documents and websites fully compliant with ADA and WCAG standards. But accessibility is important across many disciplines and industries. One that plays a crucial role in our society is education. During the Covid-19 pandemic, schools and universities shifted to online learning. The tools they used and still use today to facilitate online classes are known as Learning Management Systems (LMS), and ensuring these systems are accessible benefits students, educators, and administrators alike. It’s vital for school administrators to verify that LMS platforms meet accessibility standards to serve all students equally. Similarly, LMS providers must design platforms that comply with accessibility laws and standards while providing a seamless user experience to everyone. This guide will help you understand the laws that govern accessibility and compliance for the education sector, as well as provide solutions and steps to help make your schools more accessible.
Understanding laws and regulations
Most accessibility laws use the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or the WCAG, as their gold standard. WCAG provides explicit standards to ensure that digital content can be understood, perceived, operated, and used by those with disabilities. Its goal is to ensure that this content is compatible with assistive technologies, like screen readers.
The federal law that governs accessibility is the Americans with Disabilities Act, or the ADA. Title II of the ADA mandates that all state and local government entities provide reasonable modifications and effective communication to accommodate those with disabilities. Title III requires accessible design features in new construction and includes providing aids and services like sign language interpreters when necessary.
A new law in Colorado, HB 21-1110, sets a new precedent for both state and local governments, requiring them to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. This includes educational platforms and must be implemented by July 1, 2025. In addition to requiring compliance with the WCAG, this law also prohibits any inaccessible digital platforms and implements strict penalties for non-compliance.
It's not just the state of Colorado that’s requiring adherence to WCAG standards. As of April 2024, the Department of Justice issued a final rule that clarified compliance standards for state governments, agencies, and schools. This rule mandates that both public and private institutions providing digital services, including schools and their LMS programs, must meet WCAG Level 2.1 AA standards.
For educational institutions, these laws demonstrate the importance and the urgency of providing accessible learning environments and ensuring accessibility for all students. Read on to learn more about how to help your institution become compliant with these laws.
How to become accessible
One of the biggest hurdles for schools and educational institutions who want to become fully accessible is their online learning platforms. These Learning Management Systems (LMS) are not always created with accessibility in mind, which can lead to barriers for users with disabilities. Some common accessibility issues users might experience include:
Incompatibility with assistive tech, like screen readers
Poor color contrast
Navigation issues
Inaccessible content uploaded by professors or teachers
Inaccessible documents
These types of accessibility issues prohibit students from fully learning, which diminishes their education. Rather than viewing accessibility as an effort or a burden, education administrators and LMS providers must recognize the myriad of opportunities to create inclusive platforms and make accessibility a priority. The journey to complete accessibility involves:
Comprehensive initial audit: Take an inventory or audit of all your current online learning platforms. Understand the areas in which your platform might be lacking or excelling.
Train instructors and administrators: Offer guidance and teaching sessions to help educators learn how to create accessible content.
Provide support tools: Make sure tools like closed captions, alternative text, and customizable interface options are built into your learning platforms.
Conduct regular audits: Take audits every six months or more often, to make ensure full accessibility.
Remediation: Once accessibility issues are identified, remediate the gaps. This may include fixing code errors, making documents and multimedia accessible, enhancing or implementing assistive technology, and more.
Create a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT): Create a document that details exactly how your institution is meeting or working on meeting accessibility standards. A completed VPAT, also known as an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR), will assess the accessibility status.
In short, making your educational institutions and online learning platforms accessible isn’t just about following the laws – it also brings business advantages, expanded reach to potential students, improved experience for current students, a competitive edge, and so much more. Plus, it’s the right thing to do.
Achieving full compliance with WCAG and the ADA can be complex, but the right support can make all the difference. Our team at Splash Box Marketing specializes in the website review process and can even provide a comprehensive list of changes that need to be incorporated. We also specialize in remediation of websites, PDFs, Word documents, Excel sheets, PowerPoint presentations, large font documents, audio files, video files, and so much more.
Ready to start your accessibility journey today? Contact us at info@splashbox.com or visit our website at splashbox.com/accessibility for more information about our capabilities.