Digital Content Accessibility—A Marathon and A Sprint 

Digital content accessibility is a marathon.

My career in the field of blindness and low vision began over 25 years ago, during which I spent several years working in the K-12 setting and later as a faculty member within a graduate department of blindness and low vision studies. As a graduate student way back then, creating accessible digital content (e.g., documents, spreadsheets, presentations, pdfs, etc.) wasn’t a core part of the curriculum. Sure, we were adapting the environment and providing hard copy options like standard print or large print or braille to whoever needed it, but digital content wasn’t as readily available as it is now in 2026. 

As time passed, I noticed that the topic of digital access would pop up at professional conferences I attended. I became active within the local chapter of my professional organization and noticed that they were paying very close attention to digital accessibility. What sparked my interest in particular was when I learned about the navigation pane in Microsoft Word—using headings was so helpful for quickly moving from one section of a document to another! So, I started paying attention, too. 

Fast forward to my doctoral program, for which I would complete assignments and submit them without going through rigorous accessibility checks. Headings, alt text, reading order, descriptive text—I wasn’t checking for any of this in the classes I was taking, even though I was doing it on a regular basis for my job.   

And then it dawned on me—why am I not turning in accessible assignments?  

Because I didn’t have to? After all, submitting WCAG Level 2.1 AA-compliant assignments was never part of the rubric. 

After this realization, I decided that I would only submit assignments that were accessible—or at least as I could make them. Although this went relatively unnoticed, my decision further solidified and reinforced my digital accessibility practices, thereby bolstering my accessibility literacy.   

Even after all these years, I still do not claim to be an expert at digital accessibility—I am always learning new techniques for making digital content as accessible as possible. Since technologies are ever-changing with updates and innovations, it is incumbent upon me to keep my digital content accessibility skills updated and sharp over time.  

This is a marathon. Not only does learning how to create accessible digital content take time, but so does shaping one’s attitudes toward digital accessibility and arriving at the understanding that it is possible, necessary, and everyone’s responsibility for the greater good. 

Which marathon are general education teachers and school administrators facing? Do they know that they are at the starting line, or are they not even aware that the marathon exists? Has anyone told them that they can use technology—which they already possess—to enhance the accessibility of the digital content they create? Are they supported by administrators in shifting their own paradigms and workflows to learn how to make accessible digital content and implement accessibility principles on a regular basis? 

Digital content accessibility is a sprint.

Imagine my surprise and dismay when my students with blindness and low vision came to me and told me that content I created was not accessible. Content that I created! Shouldn’t I have done better because I knew better? How did I not catch this? 

If the digital content presented within educational activities is not accessible, students who rely on accessible digital content for learning are prevented from engaging in these activities in a timely manner. Timely access to learning is important. Since I provided inaccessible digital content, this resulted in my students having to wait until I could remediate it. Making students wait until digital content can be retrofitted to be accessible not only delays learning and engagement but also increases frustration for all parties involved.   

And timing has never been more critical. With the recent Title II updates to the Americans with Disabilities Act, digital content must be accessible—in some areas, as early as April 24, 2026.   

We are being told in a new way that we must create accessible digital content that is WCAG Level 2.1 AA compliant or we are breaking the law. 

Now.   

It’s a sprint. 

And I think the quickest (and cheapest) way to the finish line is for everyone to step across the starting line and begin to learn how to create accessible digital content from the get-go. 

Lace up!

As an extension of my dissertation on digital content accessibility for students who are blind or have low vision, I created a website called Yes I Can! Informed by subject matter experts in blindness, low vision, and accessibility, as well as general education teachers who have taught blind and low vision students, it is intended for general education teachers who: (1) may be lacing up their digital content accessibility shoes for the very first time; (2) are new to teaching students who are blind or have low vision; (3) need cheering and support throughout the race; and/or, (4) want to keep honing their digital content accessibility skills. The goal of the site is to cultivate the mindset, skill, and community for enhancing accessibility literacy and inclusive practice.

Yes I Can! introduces concepts related to blindness and low vision for those who have not yet taught a blind or low vision student. It reinforces a mnemonic device for remembering what is needed when making digital (and even non-digital!) content accessible—SAD (Structure, Appearance, Descriptions). It provides practical skill development for creating an accessible Word document using principles that go beyond just Microsoft Word. Yes I Can! offers resources for teachers who are seeking ways to bring accessibility to their learning activities. 

Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVIs) may find it useful when mentoring and supporting the general education teachers for the students on their caseloads who are new to creating accessible digital content. Administrators may find it worthwhile to share with their staff when supporting school-wide or district-wide initiatives to meet the Title II update deadlines. Parents and students may find it helpful in understanding key elements that make up accessible digital content. Faculty members of education programs may find it instrumental in teaching concepts related to accessible digital content to pre-service teachers.  

Just like my own digital content accessibility skills, Yes I Can! is under construction. The plan is to create video tutorials capturing the content presented on the Yes I Can! skills webpages that offer an alternate means of consumption for those who prefer videos. The site will be a living space which will evolve over time. 

If you need a safe space to begin learning how to create accessible digital content, join me on Yes I Can! and let me know what you need to take the next step of the marathon/sprint. 

Kerry S. Lueders, EdD, COMS, TVI, CLVT 
Associate Professor 
Director, Low Vision Rehabilitation Program 
Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies 
Drexel University, Elkins Park Campus (formerly Salus University)