Boosting Accessibility Awareness in Higher Ed

As technology continues to integrate into the learning experience, it's imperative that all students, regardless of ability, have equal access to digital resources and information. Digital accessibility is a critical issue that higher education institutions can no longer afford to ignore.

According to a report titled "The State of Digital Accessibility in Higher Education," published by Concept3D,

55% of current college students and 64% of higher education professionals either have a disability or know someone close to them who has a disability.
Almost 80% of students and (higher education) professionals believe digital accessibility should be a priority.

While many institutions have made great strides in recent years, achieving full compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) remains a significant challenge.

Public colleges and universities face a more significant challenge as they now have a timeline to become compliant. On April 24, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division (DOJ) finalized a rule that updates Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to require public entities to ensure their websites and mobile applications are accessible to people with disabilities. The timelines provided in this update are:

Public entities with a population of 50,000 or more must comply by April 2026.
Public entities with a population of less than 50,000 must comply by April 2027.

This blog explores some of the obstacles to accessibility faced by higher education and the implications of not being accessible. It also offers a few strategies to help put accessibility at the top of the mind of the campus community.

Higher Education and Barriers to Accessibility Compliance

I worked in higher education for just over 24 years. For most of that time, I managed the university website. In 2016, I became the program manager for the first-ever digital accessibility program on campus.

As I started building the program and talking with stakeholders and possible advocates, I quickly realized there was an enormous lack of awareness surrounding web accessibility. Many of the colleagues I spoke with knew something about accessibility in the built environment but had never heard of accessibility for the web, much less WCAG.

I knew I first needed to develop and launch an awareness campaign to address this obstacle. To do this, I needed to determine how widespread the problem was and with what campus community group it was most prevalent—faculty, staff, or students.

Off I went to begin my research, and Bam! I learned of another obstacle to accessibility: budgetary constraints. I had requested the purchase of a more advanced survey tool but was denied due to money issues.

So, there must be more awareness and a budget to build an awareness program. In my opinion, those are significant obstacles to overcome.

Before we discuss ways to overcome these obstacles and move towards a more accessible campus, let's take a quick look at the impact of not being an accessible campus.

Impact of Inaccessibility

Legal Ramifications

"Section 504 and Title II require educational institutions to provide equal access for individuals with disabilities to all educational benefits and opportunities that are provided online or in other digital formats." ~ U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, Digital Accessibility

Section 504 relates to all colleges and universities receiving federal financial assistance, such as student aid programs (PELL Grants), faculty research grants, federal COVID money, etc.

Title II requires public entities to ensure their websites and mobile applications are accessible to people with disabilities.

Enrollment Process

Inaccessible enrollment systems can prevent students with disabilities from registering for classes, accessing financial aid, and completing other administrative tasks critical to their higher education success.

Online Learning

Many colleges rely heavily on online platforms for course materials, assignments, and communication. Inaccessible websites and online learning environments can create significant challenges for students with disabilities, hindering their ability to participate fully in their education.

Emergency Information

A website is a crucial source of information for students in emergencies. An inaccessible website can hinder students with disabilities from accessing critical information about evacuations, campus closures, or safety protocols.

Mental Health

The challenges posed by an inaccessible website can contribute to increased stress, anxiety, and feelings of isolation for students with disabilities, potentially impacting their overall mental health and well-being.

Institutional Reputation

An inaccessible website can severely tarnish an institution's brand and reputation. Excluding individuals with disabilities demonstrates a lack of inclusivity and commitment to equal access, which can lead to negative public perception, loss of trust, damage to the institution's overall image, and a decline in overall institutional standing.

Strategies for Boosting Accessibility Awareness

Build a Business Case

A well-crafted business case is essential when advocating for accessibility in higher education. Your case needs to be grounded in facts to truly convince stakeholders.

Focus on the data. Provide concrete evidence to support your claims. Instead of relying solely on expert opinions, use verifiable statistics and real-world examples to illustrate the impact of accessibility.

Provide detailed support. For each section of your business case, cite specific resources and data to back up your claims. Highlight both the tangible and intangible benefits of accessibility initiatives.

Internal Communications

Weave accessibility awareness into your internal communication and marketing through imagery and language.

For example, choose an image of a college student, using a braille display to interact with the registration website. The website should be visible in the background, displaying the college's logo and summer class registration information. The headline might read, "Online Registration for Summer Classes Opens March 15th."

Education and Advocacy

Education

You can offer quality training and learning sessions even if you have limited funds and resources. The Brown Bag approach, which I'm a fan of, is an excellent choice due to its simplicity: small groups, informal, straightforward, low-time commitment, with sessions lasting a maximum of 30 minutes.

Consider implementing a badging program to incentivize the users' progress and to encourage others to attend the training classes.

Invite the university's leadership team to your learning sessions to help foster a shared understanding of accessibility principles and demonstrate how they align with the university's mission and values.

This firsthand experience can cultivate empathy and inspire a commitment to accessibility as a core institutional value. By demonstrating the tangible benefits of accessibility, such as improved student success and institutional reputation, leadership can be motivated to allocate necessary resources, support accessibility initiatives, and champion accessibility across campus.

Advocacy

The very act of providing education and training is a form of advocacy. But you can't be everywhere all the time. Enlist the help of your students. Student organizations dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion can be powerful allies in promoting accessibility awareness on campus. These organizations can help spread the word about accessibility issues, organize events, and advocate for policy changes.

In the end, building an accessible higher education experience is a collaborative responsibility. It requires a collective effort from faculty, staff, students, and leadership.

It's important to recognize that accessibility isn't just about compliance; it's about creating a learning environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered. By prioritizing education, training, and ongoing support, you can foster a more accessible campus.