The rise of online learning methods has made higher education more widely available than ever. However, this trend has brought attention to new issues—first and foremost, the lack of accessible school websites and digital learning materials. This gap in access has significant implications for up to 20% of college students in the U.S. who live with disabilities.
This is where the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) comes in. The ADA mandates that many aspects of public life—including education—are accessible to people with disabilities. And the law’s requirements extend to the digital world. Let’s discuss website accessibility in the context of the ADA, particularly in the education sector.
What does the ADA say about school websites?
When it was published in 1990, the ADA did not explicitly mention website accessibility. Since then, however, many courts have agreed that Title III of the ADA—which applies to “public accommodations”—covers the websites of private businesses, including private universities.
Additionally, in early 2024, the Department of Justice published a final rule regarding web and mobile accessibility under Title II of the ADA. Title II applies to state and local government entities, including state colleges and universities as well as public K-12 school districts. This rule requires that Title II entities bring their websites into conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 level AA. While a similar rule for private institutions has not been announced, the chances are high that it would also refer to the WCAG standards as a digital accessibility benchmark.
Key considerations for meeting WCAG standards
Awareness of WCAG standards is a crucial step towards achieving ADA compliance in higher education and producing more inclusive digital content for students. WCAG 2.1 includes 78 “success criteria,” or specific requirements that content should meet to be accessible. While not all of these criteria may apply to every digital experience, here are a few you can start prioritizing right away to avoid common web accessibility issues.
Image alt text
WCAG success criterion 1.1.1 requires websites to provide text alternatives for non-text content. Image alt text can be detected by screen readers and can also be converted into braille, large print, or simpler language. When it comes to learning material, the level of detail needed for image alt text will depend on the image’s context. For example, the alt text “birds flying over a mountain” may be acceptable for a general science class, but not for a class in geography or ornithology, where more detail will be necessary.
Color contrast
WCAG success criterion 1.4.3 requires a color contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1. The contrast ratio is a comparison of the relative luminance, or brightness, of the text and its background. This criterion covers both text and images of text (such as those on banners, active user interface components, and other web elements that are meant to be perceivable). However, large scale text, with at least 18 point or 14 bold font size, only requires a contrast ratio of 3:1.
Content captions
WCAG success criteria 1.2.2 and 1.2.4 require captions for pre-recorded and live audio and video. Captions allow people who are unable to hear audio to comprehend what’s taking place on the screen. Importantly, WCAG-conformant captions don’t just display dialogue. They also identify other audio cues, such as sound effects and music. For example, captions for a video of an orchestra playing classical music should provide the name of the piece being played, its composer, and a description of the music.
Promoting a culture of accessibility in online learning
Any academic environment that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion should aim for conformance with WCAG standards. These standards ensure that websites, apps, and learning content are accessible to all students and faculty who wish to use them. By becoming aware of WCAG, an institution takes the first of many steps towards full digital accessibility and ADA compliance.