The Digital Accessibility Curriculum: A Guide to Creating Accessible Online Learning Environments

Online learning has expanded the reach of education, enabling students to learn from anywhere, anytime, on any device. But that flexibility only works if the platforms, content, and tools used are accessible to everyone, particularly students, faculty, and family members with disabilities. 

Educational institutions have both a legal obligation and a practical responsibility to ensure their digital learning environments meet accessibility standards. Below, we'll cover what compliance requires, what an accessible LMS looks like in practice, and how to enhance accessibility for online learning resources.

Legal Requirements for Accessible Online Learning

Making online learning accessible is not only a good practice; it is a legal requirement for many educational institutions. Two federal laws in particular apply directly to schools and colleges operating digital learning environments. We’ll cover those in more detail below.

ADA Title II: What Changed for Public Schools and Colleges

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II applies to state and local government programs and services, including public schools, colleges, and universities. In 2024, the Department of Justice updated Title II to require that public educational institutions comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines(opens in a new tab) ( WCAG) 2.2 Level AA on their websites, online courses, downloadable documents, and other digital content. 

Compliance deadlines are phased based on institution size. For example, public entities with 50,000 or more people have until April 24, 2026; smaller entities have until April 26, 2027. Failure to comply can result in federal complaints, demand letters, fines or fees, or, in severe cases, lawsuits. 

Section 508 and Federally Funded Education

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that federal agencies and programs receiving federal funding make their electronic and information technology accessible. The law applies to educational institutions that receive federal grants or contracts, including many public K-12 schools and higher education institutions. Section 508 incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level AA as its technical standard for web content compliance. 

Beyond legal obligations, accessible digital content ensures all students, faculty, staff, and family members have equal access to learning opportunities. Every student, regardless of ability, should be able to engage fully with online courses, participate in digital classroom activities, and achieve their academic goals.

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Accessible LMS: What to Look for and How to Evaluate Platforms 

An LMS is often the primary interface through which students access course content, assignments, and communications. If your LMS is not accessible, students with disabilities face barriers that block the core of their educational experience. 

Understanding what makes an LMS accessible and how to evaluate platforms before committing to one is an essential part of any institutional accessibility strategy. Below are some of the best ways on how to evaluate an LMS.

WCAG Conformance Requirements for Learning Platforms 

An accessible LMS should conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines, the technical standard that defines how digital content should be built to be accessible. WCAG 2.1 AA is also the standard now required under ADA Title II for public educational institutions. 

At the LMS level, this means the platform itself, including navigation, forms, course builders, and media players, must meet these criteria, not just the content loaded into it.

How to Evaluate an LMS for Accessibility Before You Buy  

Before procuring or renewing an LMS contract, request a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) from the vendor. A VPAT documents how a product conforms to accessibility standards and identifies any known gaps. Review the vendor's accessibility statement and ask specifically about assistive technology compatibility, keyboard navigation support, and captioning capabilities for video content. 

Additionally, test the platform with a screen reader, such as NVDA or JAWS, to conduct keyboard-only navigation tests on key workflows such as submitting an assignment or accessing course materials.

Laptop screen showing the profiles of students; the accessibility icon with a graduation cap on top of it is in the upper left-hand corner.

Content and Media Accessibility in Online Courses

The content you deliver in online courses, whether video lectures, downloadable documents, or course images, must be accessible to all learners as well. The following techniques address the most common content accessibility barriers in educational settings.

Include Captions and Transcripts

Videos and audio-only content are widely used in educational settings. Learners with auditory disabilities may be unable to interact with this content without closed captions or transcripts. 

Captions are also beneficial for learners in noisy environments or those who process information better visually. Ensure all video and audio content you provide includes accurate captions or transcripts so that no learner misses key information.

Add Alt Text to Non-Text Content

Non-text content, such as graphs, tables, charts, and images, is frequently used in educational materials. Without alt text (alternative text), individuals using screen readers cannot access the information these elements convey. Alt text provides a clear, descriptive sentence that tells screen readers what is depicted, ensuring learners do not miss important contextual or instructional content.

Make Online Documents and Forms Accessible

Many learning resources are delivered as PDFs or downloadable documents. These documents, along with online forms such as enrollment or assessment forms, must be accessible. Ensure documents are properly tagged for screen reader compatibility and that forms include clearly labeled fields. Making these resources accessible ensures that all learners have equal access to critical information.

Use Plain Language

Students with cognitive disabilities such as ADHD, autism, or dyslexia benefit significantly from clear, simple language in course content. The CDC estimates that approximately 7 million (11.4%) of U.S. children(opens in a new tab) between 3 and 17 years have been diagnosed with ADHD. Writing in plain language, with shorter sentences and straightforward vocabulary, helps these students stay focused and improves comprehension for all learners.

Interface and Navigation Accessibility

Beyond the content itself, the interface students use to navigate courses must be operable by all users, including those who rely on keyboard navigation or assistive technology.

Ensure Assistive Technology Compatibility

Many learners with disabilities rely on assistive technologies, such as screen readers or text-to-speech software, to navigate and interact with online course content. Ensuring your online learning resources are compatible with these devices provides a more seamless experience for these users. To test compatibility, use screen readers such as NVDA or JAWS.

Test for Keyboard Navigation

To conform to WCAG standards, your educational content must be navigable only with a keyboard. Learners with physical or other types of disabilities may rely solely on keyboard commands or shortcuts to use digital content. Add clear focus indicators and keyboard shortcuts to enhance usability for these learners.

Use Headers Appropriately

The appropriate use of headers improves navigation for both assistive technology and keyboard users. Headers act as landmarks that enable efficient navigation through online learning content, allowing learners to find relevant sections quickly. Headers that follow the H1, H2, H3 order help learners with cognitive disabilities break down content into manageable chunks and help screen reader users understand how content is structured.

Ensure Good Color Contrast

Sufficient color contrast improves the readability of online learning content for all users and is essential for learners with low vision or color blindness. WCAG recommends a color contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Use a color contrast checker to verify your course materials meet these requirements.

Provide Adequate Text Size

Ensure text is large enough to be read comfortably and can be resized without loss of content or functionality. At a minimum, ensure text is adjustable. Giving learners control over text size can significantly improve their experience, particularly for those with visual impairments.

Include Clear Error Messages

When learners encounter errors in forms or course activities, error messages should clearly identify where the error occurred, why it happened, and how to correct it. Screen reader users benefit when errors are programmatically associated with the relevant field. Learners with cognitive disabilities benefit from straightforward, jargon-free error language.

Silhouettes of people in different shades of purple, pink, and white

Accessibility for Learners with Disabilities

Everyone has the right to access educational content and tools regardless of their abilities. Here is a closer look at how accessible online learning environments benefit learners with specific disabilities.

Physical Disabilities

Learners with physical disabilities, such as cerebral palsy or a spinal cord injury, may have limited dexterity or motor control, making it difficult to navigate online content in the traditional way. Accessible features such as keyboard navigation support, assistive technology compatibility, and accessible forms ensure these learners can participate fully.

Auditory Disabilities

Learners with auditory disabilities, including deafness or hard-of-hearing, may be unable to fully engage with video or audio content without captions or transcripts. Providing these features ensures deaf and hard-of-hearing learners have equal access to educational content.

Visual Disabilities

Learners with visual disabilities or impairments, including blindness, low vision, or color blindness, depend on screen reader compatibility, alt text, and sufficient color contrast to perceive and understand instructional content. Each of these elements works together to create a usable experience.

Cognitive Disabilities

Learners with cognitive disabilities such as ADHD, autism, or dyslexia can better engage with online content when it is clearly structured. Consistent use of headers, plain language, and straightforward error messages reduces cognitive load and helps these learners focus on the material rather than the interface.

Stylized web browser next to a broken up accessibility icon.

Build an Accessible Online Learning Environment with AudioEye

With the ADA Title II compliance deadline approaching for public schools and colleges, now is the time to assess and address accessibility gaps in your digital learning environment. AudioEye makes it easier to identify and fix accessibility issues across your websites, LMS, and other digital content.

The process starts with a free accessibility scan that highlights common accessibility issues in your digital content. From there, AudioEye's Accessibility Platform finds and fixes common issues automatically. We then go a step further, supplementing automated testing with expert audits that dive deep into your digital content to identify more complex accessibility issues and provide recommendations on how to fix them.

Ready to get started? Schedule a demo to see what AudioEye can do for your institution.