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Higher Education Website Accessibility: ADA & Section 508 for Universities

TestParty

April 26, 2025

Legal Framework for Higher Education
Higher Education Accessibility Scope
Common Higher Education Issues
LMS Accessibility
Library Resource Accessibility
Institutional Accessibility Program
Disability Services Integration
Procurement Requirements
Taking Action
Related Resources

Higher education institutions face some of the strongest accessibility requirements of any sector. Federal funding ties institutions to Section 504 and 508 compliance. ADA Title II covers public universities, while Title III applies to private institutions. The Department of Education actively investigates accessibility complaints, and OCR (Office for Civil Rights) resolution agreements have required sweeping institutional changes.

This guide covers higher education accessibility requirements, common compliance issues, and implementation strategies for colleges and universities.

Legal Framework for Higher Education

Section 504

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities by programs receiving federal funding.

Who's covered: Nearly every college and university receives federal funds through student financial aid, research grants, or other programs.

What's required:

Equal access to educational programs
Reasonable accommodations
Accessible communications
Accessible technology

ADA Requirements

Title II (Public institutions): State colleges and universities must provide accessible programs, services, and activities.

Title III (Private institutions): Private colleges are places of public accommodation and must remove access barriers.

Section 508

Institutions receiving federal funding must meet Section 508 standards for ICT procured or developed with those funds.

OCR Enforcement

The Office for Civil Rights investigates accessibility complaints:

Common complaint areas:

Inaccessible course materials
LMS accessibility barriers
Registration system issues
Library resource access
Website navigation

Resolution agreements: Require comprehensive accessibility programs, often including:

Website remediation
Policy development
Staff training
Ongoing monitoring
Regular reporting

Higher Education Accessibility Scope

Public-Facing Websites

Admissions:

Application forms
Campus tours (virtual)
Program information
Financial aid calculators

Academic information:

Course catalogs
Department pages
Faculty directories
Academic calendars

Campus life:

Housing applications
Dining information
Event calendars
Athletics

Student Portals

Registration systems:

Course search
Schedule building
Enrollment
Waitlist management

Student services:

Financial aid status
Account balances
Degree audit
Academic advising

Learning Management Systems

Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, etc.:

Course content
Assignments
Discussions
Gradebook
Video content

Library Resources

Digital libraries:

Search interfaces
Database access
E-books and journals
Interlibrary loan
Research guides

Common Higher Education Issues

Course Material Accessibility

Document problems:

Scanned PDFs (image-only)
Untagged documents
Complex tables without markup
Missing alternative text

Solution approach:

<!-- Alternative format request -->
<section aria-labelledby="materials-heading">
  <h2 id="materials-heading">Course Materials</h2>

  <ul class="materials-list">
    <li>
      <a href="/syllabus.pdf">Course Syllabus (PDF)</a>
      <span class="formats">
        Also available:
        <a href="/syllabus.html">HTML</a> |
        <a href="/syllabus.docx">Word</a>
      </span>
    </li>
  </ul>

  <p class="accommodation-notice">
    Need materials in an alternative format?
    <a href="/disability-services/request">
      Request through Disability Services
    </a>
  </p>
</section>

Video Content

Lecture accessibility:

Live captions for synchronous classes
Post-production captions for recordings
Transcripts for podcasts
Audio descriptions when visual content is essential

<!-- Accessible video player -->
<figure class="video-container">
  <video controls>
    <source src="lecture-12.mp4" type="video/mp4">
    <track kind="captions"
           src="lecture-12-captions.vtt"
           srclang="en"
           label="English captions"
           default>
    <track kind="descriptions"
           src="lecture-12-descriptions.vtt"
           srclang="en"
           label="Audio descriptions">
  </video>
  <figcaption>
    Lecture 12: Introduction to Organic Chemistry
    <a href="/lectures/12/transcript">Full transcript</a>
  </figcaption>
</figure>

Registration Systems

Course registration accessibility:

<!-- Accessible course search -->
<form role="search" action="/courses/search">
  <fieldset>
    <legend>Search Courses</legend>

    <div class="form-group">
      <label for="term">Term (required)</label>
      <select id="term" aria-required="true">
        <option value="">Select term</option>
        <option value="spring-2025">Spring 2025</option>
        <option value="fall-2024">Fall 2024</option>
      </select>
    </div>

    <div class="form-group">
      <label for="subject">Subject</label>
      <select id="subject">
        <option value="">All subjects</option>
        <!-- Subject options -->
      </select>
    </div>

    <div class="form-group">
      <label for="keyword">Keyword or Course Number</label>
      <input type="text" id="keyword"
             placeholder="e.g., CHEM 101 or chemistry">
    </div>

    <button type="submit">Search Courses</button>
  </fieldset>
</form>

<!-- Search results -->
<section aria-labelledby="results-heading">
  <h2 id="results-heading">
    <span id="result-count">24 courses found</span>
  </h2>

  <!-- Live region for dynamic updates -->
  <div role="status" aria-live="polite" class="visually-hidden">
    Search results updated. 24 courses found.
  </div>

  <table class="course-results">
    <thead>
      <tr>
        <th scope="col">Course</th>
        <th scope="col">Title</th>
        <th scope="col">Instructor</th>
        <th scope="col">Schedule</th>
        <th scope="col">Seats</th>
        <th scope="col">Actions</th>
      </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
      <tr>
        <td>CHEM 101-001</td>
        <td>General Chemistry I</td>
        <td>Dr. Smith</td>
        <td>MWF 9:00-9:50am</td>
        <td>
          <span aria-label="15 of 30 seats available">15/30</span>
        </td>
        <td>
          <button aria-label="Add CHEM 101-001 to schedule">
            Add
          </button>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </tbody>
  </table>
</section>

Virtual Campus Tours

360-degree tours:

Alternative navigation methods
Text descriptions of visual content
Keyboard-accessible hotspots

Video tours:

Captions required
Audio descriptions for visual-only content
Transcripts available

LMS Accessibility

Platform Considerations

Vendor responsibility: LMS vendors (Canvas, Blackboard, etc.) provide base platform accessibility.

Institutional responsibility: Content uploaded to the LMS must be accessible.

Content Creation Guidelines

For faculty and staff:

## Creating Accessible LMS Content

### Documents
- Use Word's built-in styles for headings
- Add alt text to images before uploading
- Use meaningful hyperlink text
- Check accessibility before publishing

### Videos
- Upload captions with all videos
- Provide transcripts for audio content
- Describe visual-only content verbally

### Quizzes and Assessments
- Provide extended time options
- Ensure all question types are accessible
- Avoid time pressure when possible
- Offer alternative assessment formats

### Discussion Boards
- Write clear discussion prompts
- Describe any embedded media
- Don't require inaccessible tools

Third-Party Tools

External tool accessibility: Evaluate accessibility of:

Proctoring software
Collaboration tools
Simulation platforms
Publisher content

Procurement checklist:

Request VPAT/ACR
Verify WCAG conformance claims
Test with assistive technologies
Include accessibility in contracts

Library Resource Accessibility

Database and Research Access

<!-- Accessible database search -->
<form action="/databases/search" method="GET">
  <h2>Search Library Databases</h2>

  <div class="form-group">
    <label for="search-query">Search terms</label>
    <input type="search" id="search-query" name="q">
  </div>

  <fieldset>
    <legend>Limit search to:</legend>
    <label>
      <input type="checkbox" name="peer-reviewed" value="true">
      Peer-reviewed only
    </label>
    <label>
      <input type="checkbox" name="full-text" value="true">
      Full text available
    </label>
  </fieldset>

  <div class="form-group">
    <label for="date-range">Date range</label>
    <select id="date-range" name="date">
      <option value="">Any time</option>
      <option value="1y">Past year</option>
      <option value="5y">Past 5 years</option>
      <option value="10y">Past 10 years</option>
    </select>
  </div>

  <button type="submit">Search</button>
</form>

E-book Accessibility

Accessible e-book platforms:

EPUB with accessibility features
Reflowable text
Screen reader compatible
Adjustable display options

When e-books aren't accessible:

Provide alternative formats
Connect students with disability services
Consider physical copy alternatives

Institutional Accessibility Program

Policy Development

Essential policies:

Web accessibility policy
Procurement accessibility requirements
Content creation standards
Accommodation procedures

Policy template outline:

# University Web Accessibility Policy

## Purpose
[University] is committed to ensuring that its websites
and digital content are accessible to all users,
including those with disabilities.

## Scope
This policy applies to all university websites, web
applications, and digital content.

## Standard
All web content shall conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA.

## Responsibilities
- Web developers: Build accessible interfaces
- Content creators: Produce accessible content
- Department heads: Ensure departmental compliance
- IT Services: Provide tools and training

## Compliance
- New content must be accessible at publication
- Existing content remediated by [date]
- Third-party tools must demonstrate accessibility

## Accommodation Requests
Users may request accommodations through
Disability Services at [contact info].

## Questions
Contact the Accessibility Coordinator at [contact].

Training Programs

Who needs training:

Web developers (technical training)
Content creators (document and media accessibility)
Faculty (course material accessibility)
Procurement staff (accessibility evaluation)
Communications staff (social media, marketing)

Monitoring and Testing

Ongoing compliance:

Automated scanning (weekly/monthly)
Manual audits (annual)
User feedback mechanism
Remediation tracking

Disability Services Integration

Accommodation Process

<!-- Accommodation request form -->
<form id="accommodation-request">
  <h1>Request Academic Accommodations</h1>

  <p>Students registered with Disability Services can
     request course-specific accommodations here.</p>

  <fieldset>
    <legend>Course Information</legend>

    <div class="form-group">
      <label for="course">Select Course (required)</label>
      <select id="course" aria-required="true">
        <option value="">Choose a course</option>
        <!-- Populated from student's schedule -->
      </select>
    </div>
  </fieldset>

  <fieldset>
    <legend>Accommodation Needed</legend>

    <div class="checkbox-group">
      <label>
        <input type="checkbox" name="accommodations"
               value="extended-time">
        Extended time on exams
      </label>

      <label>
        <input type="checkbox" name="accommodations"
               value="alt-format">
        Alternative format materials
      </label>

      <label>
        <input type="checkbox" name="accommodations"
               value="note-taking">
        Note-taking services
      </label>

      <label>
        <input type="checkbox" name="accommodations"
               value="other">
        Other (please specify)
      </label>
    </div>

    <div class="form-group">
      <label for="other-details">Additional details</label>
      <textarea id="other-details" name="details"></textarea>
    </div>
  </fieldset>

  <button type="submit">Submit Request</button>
</form>

Faculty Notification

Accommodation letter system:

Accessible format for letters
Clear accommodation descriptions
Easy implementation guidance
Support contact information

Procurement Requirements

Evaluating Educational Technology

Accessibility evaluation checklist:

Request current VPAT/ACR
Review conformance claims critically
Test representative features
Check keyboard accessibility
Test with screen reader
Review vendor accessibility roadmap
Include accessibility in contract

Contract Language

The Vendor warrants that the Product/Service conforms
to WCAG 2.1 Level AA and shall maintain such conformance
throughout the contract period.

The Vendor shall provide an updated Accessibility
Conformance Report (ACR) within 30 days of each major
release and upon University request.

The Vendor shall remediate accessibility defects
reported by the University within 30 days at no
additional cost.

The University reserves the right to terminate this
agreement if the Vendor fails to maintain accessibility
conformance.

Taking Action

Higher education accessibility requires institutional commitment—policy, training, procurement, and ongoing monitoring. Start with highest-impact systems (registration, LMS, main website) and build comprehensive programs that ensure equal access for all students.

TestParty provides the monitoring and testing higher education institutions need for comprehensive accessibility compliance.

Schedule a TestParty demo and get a 14-day compliance implementation plan.

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