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Education Website Accessibility & ADA Compliance Complete Guide

School and university accessibility guide. Online learning, student portals, and course materials must be accessible to all students under ADA requirements.

8 min read

Overview

Educational institutions must provide accessible online learning under ADA Title II (public schools) and Title III (private schools and universities). Over 420 ADA accessibility lawsuits target education annually. Inaccessible learning management systems, course materials, and student portals exclude students with disabilities. Our guide covers education-specific accessibility requirements.

420+

Annual Lawsuits

Up 30% year-over-year

Trend

$30,000-$50,000

Avg Settlement

Top violations sued:
  • Inaccessible learning management systems
  • PDF course materials without captions
  • Video content without captions
  • Inaccessible online tests

Specific Requirements

✓

Learning management systems (Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle) must be fully accessible

✓

Video content must have captions and descriptive audio or transcripts

✓

Course materials (PDFs, Word docs, presentations) must be accessible

✓

Online tests and quizzes must be keyboard accessible with extra time for disabled students

✓

Syllabus and course navigation must have proper heading structure

✓

Discussion forums must announce new posts to screen reader users

Common Violations

Course videos lack captions or transcriptsWCAG 2.1 AA 1.2.2

Deaf and hard-of-hearing students cannot access course content. Violates ADA requirement to provide equal access to education.

Learning management system not fully keyboard accessibleWCAG 2.1 AA 2.1.1, 2.4.3

Students with motor disabilities cannot navigate courses, submit assignments, or take tests. Locked out of education.

Course PDFs are images without text (not OCR'd)WCAG 2.1 AA 1.1.1

Screen reader users cannot read course materials. Cannot complete assignments or study. Excluded from education.

Online quizzes don't provide extra time for disabled studentsWCAG 2.1 AA 2.2.1

Students with processing disabilities or mobility issues cannot complete timed tests. Unfair assessment. Violates ADA accommodations.

Math and scientific equations shown as images onlyWCAG 2.1 AA 1.1.1

Blind and low-vision students cannot read equations. Cannot learn STEM subjects. Excluded from STEM education.

Compliance Checklist

Audit learning management system accessibility (Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle all have tools)

Caption all course videos (YouTube auto-captions are a start, but manual review recommended)

Provide transcripts for audio lectures

Convert image-only PDFs to text-based or OCR'd PDFs

Ensure course syllabus has proper heading structure (H1, H2, H3 hierarchy)

Test online tests/quizzes with keyboard-only navigation

Verify quiz time extensions are available for students with disabilities

Check that discussion forums work with screen readers

Ensure math/equations use MathML or text alternatives

Test with actual assistive technology (JAWS, NVDA, Dragon Speech Recognition)

Relevant Regulations

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II (public schools) & Title III (private/higher ed)WCAG 2.1 AA (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)Section 504 of Rehabilitation ActAmericans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA)ADA student accommodations requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is responsible for captioning course videos—the school or instructor?
Schools must provide captions as a system. Platforms (YouTube, Zoom, Panopto) offer auto-captions (good start). Schools should verify accuracy and provide manual captions for accuracy.
Must all course materials be available in alternative formats?
Yes, under ADA. If a student requests accommodations, provide materials in accessible format (Word instead of PDF, audio transcription, large print). Some materials must be accessible by default.
How do I make online tests accessible without compromising integrity?
Provide extra time (1.5x, 2x) for disabled students as standard accommodation. Use keyboard-accessible test platforms. Allow text-to-speech software. These don't compromise test integrity.
Does accessibility improve student outcomes?
Yes. Studies show accessible course materials improve outcomes for ALL students. Captions help non-native speakers. Organized course structure helps students with ADHD. Accessibility helps everyone.

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